LOS ANGELES – National Basketball Association (NBA) icon Michael Jordan turns 60 on Friday, and his birthday wish is to make wishes come true for a whole lot of children.
One of the sport’s greatest-ever players, he will make a record-breaking US$10 million ($13.3 million) donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a statement said on Wednesday.
Jordan’s donation to Make-A-Wish – which aims to fulfil the wishes of children aged between two and 18 battling critical illness – is the largest in the Arizona-based, non-profit organisation’s 43-year history.
The six-time NBA champion has had a long association with the non-profit body, first working with it in 1989 and has the title of chief wish ambassador.
A statement from Make-a-Wish said the 59-year-old billionaire, who owns the Charlotte Hornets, hoped his gesture would inspire others to donate to the foundation.
It says on its website that donors are “giving children renewed strength to fight their illnesses, bringing families closer together and uniting entire communities”.
“For the past 34 years, it’s been an honour to partner with Make-A-Wish and help bring a smile and happiness to so many kids,” Jordan, who has five children, said in the news release.
“Witnessing their strength and resilience during such a tough time in their lives has truly been an inspiration.
“I can’t think of a better birthday gift than seeing others join me in supporting Make-A-Wish so that every child can experience the magic of having their wish come true.”
Make-A-Wish said Jordan had granted “hundreds” of wishes to children all over the world since 1989.
His multi-million-dollar donation will be used to create an endowment fund to help grant wishes in the future for children and young people with serious illnesses.
“Everyone knows about Michael’s legacy on the basketball court, but it’s what he has consistently done off the court when no one’s watching that makes him a true legend for wish families and the wider Make-A-Wish community,” said Make-A-Wish America chief executive officer Leslie Motter.
“Michael using his birthday as a chance to make history for Make-A-Wish speaks to the quality of his character and his loyal dedication to making life better for children with critical illnesses.
“We hope that the public will be inspired to follow in his footsteps by helping make wishes come true.”
Jordan is regarded by many as arguably the greatest basketball player in history, with six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards in addition to his championship rings.
He also won five regular season MVP awards and was a 14-time All-Star during a career that spanned from 1984 to 2003.
On the NBA all-time scoring list, which LeBron James claimed top spot of last week, Jordan ranks fifth on 32,292 points. Outside of basketball, he also co-owns the Nascar team 23XI Racing. AFP, REUTERS
