In a moment of reflective honesty, Craig Hodges — former NBA sharpshooter, activist, and outspoken truth-teller — opened up in an interview about Michael Jordan, philanthropy, and the deeper systemic forces shaping the present and future of Black America.
When asked about Michael Jordan’s latest philanthropic efforts, specifically funding his fourth hospital, Hodges paused.
“I didn’t know that he’s funding hospitals,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about that. But that’s good. That’s good work.”
Hodges, who has often been portrayed in media as critical of Jordan’s past silence on social issues, quickly clarified that their personal relationship tells a different story.
“Michael Jordan and Craig Hodges have never had ill words with one another, okay? Now the media has been able to take quotes from him to have him target me…. I’m not gonna say target me, but to try to get some shit started, you feel me?”
That honesty — raw, unfiltered — is classic Hodges. His bond with Jordan, he says, was always real behind the scenes, despite what headlines may have tried to suggest.
“That’s my brother behind closed doors and in the locker room and we’re looking at the bigger picture, you know what I’m sayin’? But I understand when he comes out here, he has to do what he gotta do, alright? That’s why Republicans buy gym shoes… You remember that?”
Referencing Jordan’s now-infamous quote, Hodges challenges the notion that consciousness — political, cultural, or spiritual — arrives on anyone’s schedule but their own.
“Who am I to say when we come into consciousness and be humanitarian in the heart? You know what I’m sayin’? And him doing that, that’s a good thing.”
But Hodges is also about the now — about the mark today’s legends leave on tomorrow’s generation. In his eyes, it’s no longer about sneakers or slam dunks.
“It ain’t about us jumping around no more… It’s the younger generation now that’s doing their thing so now, what type of true mark are we leaving?”
That’s where his message turns: generational wealth, self-determination, and responsibility. He worries that today’s youth are chasing gratification, but lack the grit it takes to push beyond the surface.
“Where are the work habits? Where are the research habits? Where is the tenacity? Where is our mental toughness? Extra effort at the point when it’s needed and necessary… Tenacity is required. Courage is required. Standing on your own is required.”
And he doesn’t let his own past become an excuse either.
“I can’t be mad at my dad because he wasn’t in my life… he gave me life. So why should I be hot? Why can’t I go out there and do what I need to do?”
But where Hodges becomes most urgent is when he begins unpacking the aftermath of COVID-19 — not just the lockdowns and the shots, but what he sees as a moment Black America missed.
“This is the first time in American history that Black people got a chance to sit down, go get some bread and think about some shit, you feel me?”
He reflects on what he calls “free money” and questions what was truly done with that time — and with the health directives handed down.
“How many of us took that thing that they told us was for COVID-19?… And our people are going down like flies and they’re not saying anything about it.”
Hodges doesn’t make hard claims — he calls them “random thoughts.” But they are real, reflective, and full of concern. He tells a personal story about his mother in a nursing home, being given treatment without proper consent. He wonders aloud about the sudden health issues affecting athletes like Damar Hamlin and asks what might be going unsaid.
“Was it part of that regimen when they gave that they had to be public figures? That you have to do this? Was that a recollection of LeBron James? Did he have to do that?”
To Hodges, it all connects: health, awareness, economics, media noise. He warns that hard times are coming — not just for Black America but globally. The dollar is weakening, digital currency is rising, and “white noise” is drowning out critical thinking.
“It’s the white noise of laptops, handhelds, iPads… But we’re not taking heed of the signs.”
And through it all, he calls for clarity and strength. For staying grounded, protecting your health, and staying alert.
“Drink a lot of water, get as much time as you can and try to keep your immune system as solid as possible over the next 6 or 7 months because it’s gonna be crazy!”
Craig Hodges has never been the type to whisper when he could speak the truth. Whether you agree with him or not, you can’t say he isn’t consistent. His message is always bigger than basketball. It’s about freedom, faith, and future generations.
“We in it because we gotta be in it… but I just hope that we’re alert to everything going down.”
