Michael Jordan at the peak of his career dated an actress named Robin Givens who later married boxing legend Mike Tyson.
Advertisement
Michael Jordan is head and shoulders above almost every athlete in world history. There have been only a few personalities who have commanded the same level of fame and respect as MJ.
Like Muhammad Ali, MJ’s greatness was visible to everyone very early on. It wasn’t like Kobe with him. He did not get better after spending time in the league. Michael was already a genius in his rookie year.
In his rookie season, he averaged 28.2 points per game. That was more than any veteran or star on the Chi team that season. By 1989, Jordan was far more successful and acclaimed than anyone else in the NBA.
So, naturally, that kind of fame brought unwanted attention and at times social piranhas. In a 1989 interview with GQ, Jordan revealed he dated someone who was attracted to his fame. That someone later tied the knot to the boxing phenomenon Mike Tyson.
Michael Jordan dated Rachel Givens once
The story of Michael Jordan and Rachel Givens is a strange one. For one, Michael revealed it in an extremely strange manner to the GQ team.
While in Limo with his then-girlfriend, MJ read about Mike Tyson and Rachel Givens tying the knot. Jordan was lost in the news. It was the horror of what could have been that froze Michael.
Givens, before MJ, had dated comedian Eddie Murphy who was a big name back then. And after Michael, she moved on with Tyson.
So, for Jordan, it felt as if Robin was not looking for love. She was looking for men who were successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. In the interview with GQ, he claimed that the relationship got tiring in less than a week. He further revealed that he had a problem trusting women because of his fame and money.
Michael Jordan: “Right now, I don’t trust no one except my mother.”
MJ’s fame made dating easy but love difficult
Michael understood that with the kind of money he earned and the fame that followed him, dating was going to be easy. But he also knew that most women dated him for exactly those things. His money and his popularity.
That made things difficult on the love front. Finding a meaningful relationship became all the more difficult and he knew it better than anyone else. Perhaps that was the reason he only trusted his mother.
