Michael Jordan to Blame for Riots Over Shoes: What Isiah Thomas Said and 5 Things He Could Do With Nike Profits

NBA player Nick Young, who temporary protest against all Jordan apparel after MJ came down hard against the players during the lockout, said this about the fracas over the coveted sneakers. ”I couldn’t afford to have Jordans back then, so it wasn’t no waiting in line,” Lewis said to the media. “My mother, she might smack me in the back of the head trying to buy some shoes for a 100-something dollars. . . . I heard a lot of people waitng in line. I guess Jordan is the man. It’s unbelievable how kids wait in line all night for Jordans. If they could do that for school, they might get better grades.”

Since Jordan commands such mass appeal despite not stepping on the court in nearly a decade, he could use his massive platform, and few of his dollars, to encourage prep school kids to channel their energies in a more positive direction. He could speak at schools to talk about how he returned to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to attain his undergraduate degree. He could, like Braylon Edwards of the NFL, adopt some students or a few schools and pledge dollars for scholarships. Something. Anything.