Coco Eco Magazine

Photography by Anne Marie Fox
Make Up by Julianne Kaye
Products: Nude Skincare Eye Complex Age Defence Moisturiser, Badger Sweet Orange Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, and Jane Iredale.
Fashion Stylist, Giorgia Severino
Assistant Stylist, Sheena Annikki
With special thanks to Keith at 5th and Sunset Studios, www.5thandsunsetla.com

I’ve been at enough of our Men We Love shoots to see our female staff swoon when the talent walks through the door.  However, nothing prepared me for the reaction to Jordan Farmar.  Sure he’s 22 years old, a lean 6 ft 2, the young hot point guard of the LA Lakers, and therefore an NBA Champion In his own right.  Or maybe it was the sight of his seven-week-old puppy Royce in his arms, a sure lady-killer, which made all the girls’ hearts flutter?

Having met Jordan this January at the LA Go Green Expo, I knew there was more to this cat than a killer physique and playing for the most recognizable and popular basketball team in the world.  As he wandered the hall, accompanied by his Publicist, he stood out from the crowd, yet was drawing absolutely minimal attention, instead choosing to show up earnestly to learn more about living green.  So, already knowing he was extremely down to earth, and walking his talk, being flirty and girlie just wasn’t going to do! 

An extremely accomplished athlete, a master of not only basketball but also yoga and golf, and an unexpected poker shark, Jordan is also dedicated in his pursuit of taking care of his planet and body, and living a healthy lifestyle. He passionately and actively campaigns for children’s welfare and for peace, and he wants to talk about it.  In fact, the happiness of children is something obviously dear to his heart, and one only need look at his tattoo of he and his little sister to know this. He doesn’t promote small talk or any of the “bling” lifestyle we might associate with being an NBA Champion, instead choosing to get the job done and his message heard.

Between raising money via his charity, the Jordan Farmar Foundation to build a green play and rehabilitation room at the Mattel Children’s Hospital, participating in the Seeds of Peace Camp, and his past work with the Peres Peace Camp, Jordan’s message is clear.  It’s about the kids, it’s about peace, it’s about the environment, and it’s about doing his part.

Coco Eco Magazine: You’re an NBA Champion and you’re a big advocate of the environment.  How do you merge the two?

Jordan Farmar: I just live day by day.  My day job is playing basketball, but something that’s important to me is taking care of the environment and passing a good message on to the future generation.  Especially for me here in Los Angeles.  I grew up here so I definitely want to preach the right message and pass good values on to the children.

Grey long sleeved hoodie Vicarious by Nature-VBN, www.vicariousbynature.com
White t-shirt Vuori, www.vuoriclothing.com
Straight leg jeans Levi’s eco-line, www.levi.com
White painted shoes by Toms,  www.TOMSshoes.com

CE Mag: Yes, kids are very important to you, aren’t they?

JF: Very much so.  I love them.  I was not so long ago a little kid, growing up in LA, loving the Lakers, and there are people who shaped me into who I’ve become, so I want to be someone who’s influential but doing things the right way.

CE Mag: The NBA’s very passionate about you guys actually taking a stand within the community and making a difference, correct?

JF: Very much so.  I mean “the NBA Cares” is their slogan, and they help us and assist us to get out there and get involved in the community and help out people whom need help, but for me it’s more my own personal thing.  To really contribute and give back the community that helped raise me.

CE Mag: When we interviewed Brian White, he said it’s all about giving back in American sports, and that’s a really important part of it; making that contribution back to the community.

JF: Absolutely.  We’ve all been blessed to be where we are.  It’s our obligation to do what we can.  You don’t have to give all your money, you don’t have to spend all your time, but just do whatever you can to show you do care and that you’re grateful for where you are.  And try to help some other people.

CE Mag:   Can you tell me about your work with Seeds Of Peace Camp?

JF: It’s a little summer camp where kids from the conflict areas of the Middle East, Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians, and Jordanians, all come together and go to summer camp together.  They sleep together, they live together, and get to discuss the conflict and their points of view, so when they go back home they can take a different message and understand another person’s point of view. We just go there for a few days, play a basketball tournament, and let them see someone who is visible to them, maybe on TV or elsewhere, promoting peace.  I think anytime you can use your celebrity to influence people and push a message, especially a positive one, it’s good to do so.

Eco-Basketball, www.fairtradesports.com
Blue golf pants by Linda Loudermilk,  www.lindaloudermilk.com  
Red t-shirt by Vuori,  www.vuoriclothing.com
Denim vest by Brooklyn Circus,  www.thebkcircus.com
Blue sneakers by Adidas eco-line, www.adidas.com
Vintage straw hat, Stylist’s Own

CE Mag:   Outstanding.  And what about the Peres Peace Center?

JF: It’s a peace center out in Israel pushing pretty much the same message.  I went out there and partnered with them last summer, and did basketball camp with Israeli and Palestinian kids.  We got them to play together and use basketball as a medium for them to work together.  Seeing them on the same team and high-fiving, and just being children, not thinking about all the conflict and all the war, and not thinking of all the hatred between the two nations, and the two people, was great to see, and they were out there having a good time and just playing a game, and that’s what the message was.  If you can get past seeing this person as an enemy, and just see them as another person with different beliefs, you can work toward a solution

CE Mag: Exactly.  Now tell me about your work with the Jordan Farmar Foundation?

JF: I started my foundation, just like I said, to help the community to help raise money for the less fortunate kids in the Los Angeles Community; The Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA – I went to UCLA so I have ties there.  Bringing kids out to games so they can get out of the hospital and not be so sick, and that mentality.  Let them come to a game and have a good time.  I’m having a fundraiser, my first annual tournament, to raise money to build a green room at the hospital where the kids can do research for their homework or play video games, just so they can get out of their individual hospital room and just be a kid.

CE Mag: Have some space . . .

JF: Have some space and learn about the environment while doing it, so it’s cool.

Eco-Basketball, www.fairtradesports.com
Blue golf pants by Linda Loudermilk,  www.lindaloudermilk.com  
Red t-shirt by Vuori,  www.vuoriclothing.com
Denim vest by Brooklyn Circus,  www.thebkcircus.com
Blue sneakers by Adidas eco-line, www.adidas.com
Vintage straw hat, Stylist’s Own

CE Mag: Tell me about your event.

JF: It’s July 19th and 20th.  I have a gala for the younger crowd so they can still hang out and support the cause.  The day after I have a golf tournament and tons of celebrities are coming out to support it.  A lot of people have really helped me out to make it possible and I’m just trying to do what I can.

CE Mag:   Who are some of the people you’ve got coming out?

JF: The list is very long and I don’t want to leave anybody out, but Chris Paul, and I just got a call from the guys from Entourage who said they wanted to come, but I’ll leave it there.  We have quite a good turn out and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

CE Mag: Do you actually play golf yourself?

JF: I definitely play golf, yes.

CE Mag: So basketball, golf, and . . . poker, I hear?

JF: Yeah, I was in Vegas at the World Series of poker.  Had a bunch of fun out there, sent a bunch of people home!  It was a good time.  It was the first time I actually ever played poker, so I think it might be something I get into here in the future.

CE Mag: Well that’s good.  At least when the NBA Career is done, you’ve got a second one to go to!

JF: Yeah, I’ve got a few second ones to go to!!!

CE Mag: With all that going on, what turned you onto to living an eco-conscious lifestyle?  Why is it so important to you?

JF: Especially when you start the charities and foundations, you have to find something that’s important to you, and it just was.  There was something about it.  I do yoga, I try to live a healthy lifestyle, and whatever we do here, we pass onto future generations.  All my messages that I talk to kids, I definitely stress to not only take care of your environment, but to take care of yourselves, and pass it on to others.  What I do today is a reflection of somebody else looking back at me years from now, so it has a lot to do with the future, I think.  It’s very important.

CE Mag: What’s it like being a “greenie” in an association more traditionally thought of as “bling”?

JF: You know, it’s cool.

CE Mag: So what are you doing to green the Lakers?

JF: I’m doing all I can.  I think more than anything, it’s pushing the green initiative within my own endeavors and showing that I’m behind it.  You know, I drive a clean diesel car, and if some people see that I can do it, and it’s still cool, and you can still be an NBA star, then some other people might jump on board.  The more people we get on board, the easier it is to push the message. .  It’s a gradual process and you do one thing at a time, and they kind of build on each other.  All you need to do is get the right people to convert and it’s all good.  It’s a continual process, like the whole green initiative.  It’s never going to stop.

CE Mag: Are we going to have recycling at the Staples Center?

JF: I think they do but they definitely should if they don’t.  I’ll look into it!

Eco-Basketball, www.fairtradesports.com
Green t-shirt by Aviator Nation, www.aviatornation.com
Shorts and High-top sneakers by Adidas eco-line, www.adidas.com

CE Mag: What was it like when you won the NBA Championship?  At your age, to bring that home, that’s got to be a huge accomplishment. How do you feel?

JF: Great. I grew up here in Los Angeles so I was a Laker fan my whole life.  For me to watch them win the championships and be so supportive and happy, and I was just a fan putting in tons of hours of hard work, and got the opportunity to actually play for the team I grew up loving.  My second year we actually made it to the championship and lost, so that was tough, but then getting back and putting all that aside, and continuing to work hard, and finally accomplishing something that was just a dream of mine just to watch it.  When they raised that banner up at the Staples Center, to know I was actually a part of that team and made big contributions to help this organization win another championship, is really special.

CE Mag: And finally, what’s next for you?

JF: Who knows? Just going to keep it going.  As I told you earlier, the green initiative is on going, never changing and constant progress, and that’s all I’m trying to do.  Make progress and grow as a person, as a player in my career, and in the community.

www.farmarlive.com

Black suit by Linda Loudermilk, www.lindaloudermilk.com
White graphic t-shirt by Vuori,  www.vuoriclothing.com  
High-top sneakers by Adidas eco-line, www.adidas.com
Vintage sunglasses, Stylist’s Own

QUOTES FOR ARTICLE:

I think anytime you can use your celebrity to influence people and push a message, especially a positive one, it’s good to do so.

What I do today is a reflection of somebody else looking back at me years from now, so it has a lot to do with the future, I think.

We’ve all been blessed to be where we are.  It’s our obligation to do what we can.

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