Mike Conley’s Charity Comes From Gold Medal Winning Father

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley is donating $200,000 to vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will be spread throughout Utah, Tennessee, Ohio, Indianapolis, and Arkansas. In a conference call Wednesday, Conley said his taste for charity came from his gold medal-winning father, Mike Conley Sr.

Conley Sr. won the gold medal in the triple jump at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He won the silver medal in the same event in 1984 in Los Angeles.

“I’m lucky enough to have a dad that’s been in similar situations that I’ve gone through in my career,” Conley said of his father. “Actually, my first charity event was a charity golf tournament.”

Conley was only five years old at the event, but it a chance encounter made it a memorable experience.

“I met Michael Jordan at [the event],” Conley remembered. “My first thought was, I get to meet famous people like this? I definitely want to do these charity events all the time.”

Growing up I idolized MJ and now I get the chance to be a part of the Jordan brand family! Can't wait to lace up my @Jumpman23 tonight! pic.twitter.com/4ay4O4ghzA

— Mike Conley (@mconley11) October 26, 2016

However, Conley’s family helped impart the importance of supporting their community, regardless of who was involved.

“As I grew up, my parents just kept reiterating the importance of giving back,” Conley said. “And the importance of our communities and our future our young kids, and their development. It’s vital that we who have a platform like we do and a stage like we do, to utilize it the best we can.”

Conley Has A History Of Charity

Conley is no stranger to charity throughout his NBA career. The Jazz guard’s recent donation is already the third major charitable event the veteran has hosted since the league went into hiatus.

The guard raised $15,000 for the ALL IN Challenge. The auction included a round of golf, plus all included first-class airfare to play with Conley in Ohio.

In March, the guard won the NBA H-O-R-S-E Challenge tournament that raised more than $200,000 for coronavirus response efforts.

Since entering the NBA in 2007, Conley has been one of the league’s most philanthropic players. Last December, Conley surprised 15 youths at the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Boys and Girls Club in Murray, gifting Microsoft Xboxes to the surprised club members.

In addition to the video game consoles, the 13-year NBA veteran teamed with Xbox, Microsoft, and the popular game creator 2K Sports to gift the youths Utah Jazz gaming hats and the NBA 2K video game.

Spreading holiday cheer at the Boys and Girls Club in Murray with @MCONLEY10 pic.twitter.com/QeGM4w80Rg

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) December 17, 2019

“Who knows how long I get when my voice can mean something,” Conley said. “And while it does, I try to use it as much as I can, and use my time and money and resources to help out.”

Ready For NBA Return

In addition to his charity, Conley is staying ready in case the NBA season can return. However, safety will remain a priority for the guard.

“I’d love to play,” Conley said. “But, you do worry about the the the portion of your family, your kids, and those closest to you, your neighbors. You don’t want to see anybody hurt or anything happen.”

The guard has an indoor gym at his Ohio home where he has stayed in shape during the season’s hiatus. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that teams may have new guidelines to recall players to their teams as soon as June 1.

“I think it just is gonna be a wait and see kind of game,” Conley said. “And I’ll be ready one way or another.”