In Netflix’s The Last Dance documentary, several people close to Michael Jordan, like his mother Deloris, were featured heavily to give viewers an insight into the Chicago Bulls icon’s life. However, his kids — Marcus, Jeffrey, and Jasmine — had barely any screen time. To understand what their lives were like growing up with an NBA superstar father, Forbes Magazine interviewed MJ’s eldest son Jeffrey Jordan in 2020.
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During the conversation, interviewer Pat Benson had asked Jeffrey, which version of his father as a player was his favorite. The then 31-year-old had responded,
“Definitely too hard to pick just one. For me, I always like the early years (1990 and earlier) because I don’t remember most of those seasons, and seeing the young Jordan athleticism and rawness is fun to watch.”
Jeffrey’s answer is understandable. Right before the Bulls became a juggernaut in the early 1990s, they were a middling contender that relied heavily on their superstar to win games.
Between 1986 and 1990, Jordan played nearly 40 minutes a night and averaged 34.5 points per game. Chicago’s entire offensive game plan revolved around feeding Jordan and the guard enjoyed it and made the scoring title his own almost every year. Additionally, he was a juggernaut on defense as well in the 80s and even won the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.
The young Jordan that Jeffrey has fond memories of captivated the world with his otherworldly skills and athleticism. His father’s unmatched prowess on the court inspired him to follow in his footsteps and play in the NBA.
However, his basketball dreams faded early, and Jeffrey decided to build his career as a businessman.
Jeffrey Jordan is thriving in life outside his father’s shadow
For Jeffrey, being Michael Jordan’s eldest son undoubtedly came with the pressure of emulating his father. He tried his hand at basketball and played three seasons of college basketball at the University of Illinois and another couple of years at the University of Central Florida. However, he knew he did not have the basketball chops to make it to the NBA.
Jeffrey subsequently joined the Jordan Brand and managed to work his way up to leading the company’s digital innovation division. However, he wanted to break away from his father’s shadow and co-founded Heir Inc., a company that connects fans with athletes.
After the success of his first venture, he teamed up with former executive Nike Gobet and launched äktiiv, a women’s clothing brand that makes plant-based, carbon-neutral, and biodegradable activewear.
Both of Jeffrey’s post-Jordan Brand ventures have been successful, which have helped him amass a net worth of $24 million. Breaking away from a leading position at the Jordan Brand was a bold decision, but like his father, he wanted to do things his way and it worked out splendidly for him.
