Michael Jordan has garnered the reputation of a kind and gentle family man over the years, especially after the birth of his grandson. However, Jordan tried to instill the principles of his fierce competitive spirit within his sons as a young father. He kept a close eye on his eldest son Jeffrey’s development from the early age of 3.
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During his 1992 Playboy interview, the Bulls legend opened up about his son’s basketball skills at the time. Jordan detailed the Xs and Os of Jeffrey’s game, during the interview:
“He[Jeffrey] travels a lot. He knows how to shoot a free throw. I tell him to shoot a free throw, and he backs up, dribbles, concentrates, boom. When he goes in for a dunk, he holds his form. And when he’s really excited about things, he starts shooting and saying Yes! He’s a show-off, man.”
Jordan knew the immense pressure of expectations that would be always on his kids to emulate him. However, he tried his best to alleviate the burden of expectations on them, allowing them to create their own path in life. The six-time NBA champion’s sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, both had short-lasting stints with basketball, after which they decided to venture into the world of business.
Jeffrey Jordan’s career in basketball and beyond
Jeffrey Jordan went on to play for the University of Illinois and the University of Central Florida. Jordan failed to make a lasting impression, averaging only 1.6 points and 1.2 assists in his career.
After college, Jordan entered a management-training program with Nike. He is now the co-founder of the Jordan Avakian Group, a Chicago-based consultancy firm.
When asked about his role with Nike by Forbes during a 2020 interview, Jeffrey gave fans quite the insight.
“So, I’ve worked in multiple functions and roles at Nike, including digital brand marketing, sports (athlete) marketing; Energy (collaboration) products and projects, and performance basketball apparel. Currently, I lead brand digital innovation for Jordan—I conceptualize and test new technologies, trends, platforms (such as Esports, Podcasts/Audio content, etc.) to enhance the marketing power and the cohesiveness of our marketing campaigns.”
