Being the child of a famous parent is no walk in the park. Particularly if they decide to pursue the same field of profession as their parent. Just ask Jeffrey Jordan.
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While there have been various instances of successful father-son duos, it is usually the sons who have fared better in the NBA. Be it the case of Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, or more recently, Devin Booker, to name a few.
Also read: 6’5″ Dell Curry fed a baby Steph Curry Burger King when asked what it takes to be an NBA player
Of course, there have been examples of it going the other way too. David Stockton, Ralph Sampson III, Patrick Ewing Jr., and Shawn Kemp Jr. come to mind among those who made the NBA.
However, one of the biggest failures in that regard might just be Jeffrey Jordan. The son of arguably the greatest player of all time, Jeffrey Jordan was an aspiring basketball player who wanted to tread the path his father plowed. But unfortunately for him, to live up to the hype of being Michael Jordan‘s natural successor was just too much.
Jeffrey, MJ’s eldest son, opened up about how his father’s shadow even affected simple decisions in his life. Just like how it popped up to bother him while he was picking jersey numbers for himself.
How did his famous father, MJ, affect Jeffrey Jordan’s decision when it came to picking a jersey number for himself?
Michael Jordan was THE #23. No basketball player arguably resonated with the public through a number as much as MJ did.
Multiple NBA franchises and the North Carolina Tar Heels have retired His Airness’ #23. The man was special, and the #23 spread across his jersey became a part of his legend.
Naturally, Jordan’s son, Jeffrey would have had the easy choice of #23 when he had the option. However, MJ’s eldest son wasn’t keen on going that way when it came to deciding what number would adorn his jersey.
Jeffrey instead decided to pay tribute to his mother’s basketball career with his jersey decision. The former Illinois player picked the #13 which was his mother Juanita Jordan’s number when she played basketball before going away to college.
“I was always searching for a new number or a way to differentiate myself” revealed Jeffrey about his decision to go against #23 for his jersey.
While 13 is generally considered unlucky, the Illinois guard went with it as it was his mother Juanita’s lucky number. Unfortunately, Illinois is where it peaked, for Jeffrey. And it wasn’t just Jeffrey. None of Michael Jordan’s children could make it beyond college basketball.
How did Michael Jordan’s other children fare in the world of basketball?
Jeffrey wasn’t the only child of MJs to venture into basketball. Jeffrey’s younger brother Marcus also made an attempt to take to the field of professional basketball.
Marcus was a member of the University of Central Florida’s basketball team and was quite well-regarded as a prospect. However, it didn’t really work out for Marcus either when it came to pro ball.
The brothers even featured together for the University of Central Florida after Jeffrey transferred there. The younger Jordan averaged around 8 points in his Freshman year, still an improvement on his brother.
Genetics wasn’t really kind to both of Jordan’s sons. Both of them were undersized in comparison to their father and lacked MJ’s otherwordly athleticism too. Regardless, as things stand, #23 Jordan remains associable with one Jordan alone. And there doesn’t appear to be a change in proceedings as it stands.
Also read: Michael Jordan Did Not Want The New MVP Trophy To Look Like Him For One Particular Reason
