Michael Jordan Donates $7 Million to Medical Clinic: ‘This Is Just the Beginning’

It is not about the money, but what is in the heart, NBA legend Michael Jordan said Thursday at the opening of a medical clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“It’s not the financials, but from the heart,” Jordan stated in remarks given outside the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic on Freedom Drive.

He continued:

I stand here before you as a proud parent, son, obviously a member of this community. My mother, my brothers, my daughter, my grandson, we all represent the name Michael Jordan. You see my name, but yet you see a lot of people behind me and the commitment, especially from my mom, about caring for other people and being a part of a community that matters.

The basketball legend and owner of the Charlotte Hornets basketball team donated $7 million to make the clinic a reality for the surrounding community because of their support for him in the past.

“The money is not the issue to me. It’s the commitment to be able to make a difference and make an impact to a community that in the future will make an impact to the city of Charlotte,” Jordan said.

“I’ve gone off and made my life in Illinois and other places,” he noted, referring to his years with the Chicago Bulls. “But I know where it all begins.”

The new clinic, and a second facility on Statesville Avenue, are expected to provide medical care to at least 35,000 children and adults over the next five years,  according to the Charlotte Observer.

“The clinic provides both primary health care services as well as access to social workers, behavioral health experts, oral health practitioners, and physical therapy,” according to the article.

Charlotte resident, Sharelle Blake, 54, said the new clinic will make a huge difference in her life and the lives of others.

“It’s meant the world to me. When you have no health care, it’s a horrible situation,” she commented.

The clinic also includes 12 patient exam rooms, an x-ray room, and additional space for physical therapy sessions.

“This is just the beginning to touch as many as we can and grow this project,” an emotional Jordan told the audience.