Michael Jordan has always been known the greatest basketball player ever, but to his kids, they’ve always seen him as a father figure first.
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The Bulls legend has accomplished what NBA players dream of doing in his career. Six championships, six Finals MVP’s, five NBA MVP’s, an obvious Hall of Fame induction, and much more has cemented Jordan’s legacy as the greatest NBA player of all time.
So, why was his career so confusing? Well, he retired thrice in his career, to give you some context. If that sounds weird to you, that’s because it is. His first retirement was by far the most surprising as it came only nine years into his career, and he had just started to win at the highest level, coming off of his first three-peat.
Michael Jordan was a dad first and foremost in his family
Michael Jordan married Juanita Vanoy in 1989 and they had Jasmine, Jeffrey, and Marcus. Their marriage fell apart in 2006, and Jordan married Yvette Prieto in 2013. The two had twins Victoria and Ysabel.
Growing up in the shadow of their father’s success, Jordan’s kids didn’t see him as the NBA GOAT or the ever-successful, billionaire businessman first. They’ve always looked up to him as their father, and they acknowledge that he knows when to turn his ‘competitive’ gear off to be their dad.
Jasmine said that MJ is “very much a homebody and has always been a private person. Jeffrey echoed the same thoughts. “One of the biggest misconceptions was that he couldn’t turn that [competitiveness] off,” he said. “He definitely could turn it off and be a dad … But when it was on, it was on.”
Jasmine also noted how she’d always have to ask him about his greatness. “It didn’t hit me that he was the phenomenon that he is,” she explained. “I would ask him questions all the time like, “Why do you think you’re the greatest?” and he would just laugh.”
