Michael Jordan Responds After Faux Political Endorsement Sparks Controversy

Michael Jordan is clearing the air after a series of tweets reported that the NBA Hall of Famer endorsed Donald Trump for president.

It's not clear where the rumor began, with one post dating back to July, but a slew of claims on the social media platform have popped up over the last day or so. None of the statements feature a source or direct quote from the athlete, but they all boast a similar "breaking news" sentiment like: "JUST IN: Michael Jordan becomes the latest to endorse Donald Trump for President."

Now, the man himself is setting the record straight.

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In a statement shared with the Daily Mail, representatives for the basketball star said there is "absolutely no truth to the claim that Michael Jordan has made an endorsement in the presidential election."

They gave no indication as to who Jordan would be voting for this year, but it's not particularly surprising given his private and apolitical history.

In 1990, he refused to endorse Democrat Harvey Gantt for the North Carolina U.S. Senate race, joking that "Republicans buy sneakers, too." When his mother asked him to do a PSA for Gantt, he said, "Look, Mom, I'm not speaking out of pocket about someone that I don't know. But I will send a contribution to support him."

He did "commend" others, like Muhammad Ali, for speaking out about what they believed, but Jordan "never thought of [himself] as an activist."

"I thought of myself as a basketball player," he explained.

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