Who Are Michael Jordan's Children, Jeffrey, Marcus, Jasmine, Victoria, and Ysabel?
"No joke, I Googled him and was like, 'Okay, now I get it.'"
After spending the past couple of Sundays glued to ESPN's The Last Dance, a 10-part docuseries about Michael Jordan's time with the Chicago Bulls during its final championship season of 1997-98, I wanted to know more about the basketball star's life outside of the court. Maybe it's the nosy side of me (I'll admit it!), but, also, learning more about someone I admire is just interesting to me? Whether it's an actor who ended up hating the role that made them famous, or who's had the shortest marriages of all time, I like to know!
The legend himself has been married twice: Once for 17 years to Juanita Vanoy, and currently since 2013 to Yvette Prieto. He shares three kids with Vanoy, and two more with Prieto. And in case you're wondering, we do get a glimpse of them in the series. Sure, the kids were young when their father had that final championship season, but they did remember something! In episode ten, for under a minute, we did get a small moment with two of Jordan's heirs. Director Jason Hehir asks Jordan's sons if they attended the 1998 Finals in Utah. "No," says Jeffrey Jordan, the oldest of Jordan's children. "We were watching in the basement." Marcus, another one of Jordan's son, continued, "[Mom Juanita] felt like Utah was a little hostile for us." That seems to be somewhat of a trend for the Jordan kids—kept out of the spotlight to protect them, but called upon to excel in their own ways, much like Michael was as a child. Ahead, learn more Michael Jordan's five children, Jeffrey, Marcus, Jasmine, Victoria, and Ysabel.
Jordan had three children with ex-wife Juanita Vanoy.
Jeffrey Michael Jordan
The oldest son of Jordan and Vanoy was born on November 18, 1988. When he was born, Jordan at first didn't believe he was his son. "She told me she was pregnant, unwed, and that the father of the child was Michael Jordan," Vanoy's attorney Michael Minton said to The Washington Post about meeting with her in July 1988. "She felt she could not get Michael's attention or cooperation or response without the retention of a legal representative." Jordan later "admitted paternity within a few months," and when they tied the knot in Vegas, Jeffrey was at their wedding.
Jeffrey ended up playing basketball like his father, but not professionally. He went to college at the University of Illinois to play basketball for three seasons and then transferred to the University of Central Florida in 2010 to continue playing ball. Michael would occasionally show up to games and apparently gave his son advice. Jeffrey said that basketball was a way of life at home, and that things got so competitive his mom had to ban them from playing one-on-one. At one point, Michael tackled Jeffrey and gave him 30(!) stitches—but still insists the competition was all in good fun, mostly.
In 2019, he got married to his wife, Radina Aneva. Today he currently works for the Jordan brand at Nike, where he leads the brand's digital innovation, according to Forbes. He's also continuing the legacy in other ways, as cofounder of Heir Jordan (which focuses on investment and philanthropy) and Jordan Avakian Group, or JAG (mentoring and investing with sports/entertainment startups).
Even though Vanoy controversially didn't appear in the series, Jeffrey gave her a shoutout. "There’s so much spotlight and so much publicity, she made sure we saw the family and we went to the South Side and she made sure we were going to be successful individuals, not just successful children of Michael Jordan."
Marcus James Jordan
Born on December 24, 1990, Marcus is the middle child of Jordan and Vanoy. Like his older brother, he played basketball growing up, and for practice, he and his brother would sometimes play with their dad. " The game got so competitive [one time], to the point I literally had to call my mom, [and tell her], 'Dad's picking on me,'" Marcus said on the TODAY show. "I was a freshman in high school. There was nothing given. You had to earn everything."
Marcus went to college at the University of Central Florida and played basketball there too. While he played there, he caused a bit of controversy when he wore white Nike Air Jordans instead of Adidas on the court. At the time, the school was under a contract with Adidas, and Marcus' decision cost the school millions, said the L.A. Times.
Marcus is now in charge of his own company called Trophy Room. It's an online boutique that sells mainly Jordan-based fashion and is inspired by the trophy room in his dad's residence. Uh, sounds like the coolest flex ever.
Marcus is fairly laidback on social media but did share some Trophy Room details when he partnered with The Container Store in 2019 to clean up his (insanely large, by the looks of it) collection.
And he posted in 2016 a throwback photo of him, his dad, his two siblings, and Vanoy.
As to what he thinks about the documentary, in an interview with CBS Chicago, he said about the series, "Not only is it great for young kids who never got to see my dad play, it’s also good for those that did follow along, but didn’t really understand what was going on behind the scenes."
Jasmine Mickael Jordan
The youngest child of Jordan and Vanoy was born on December 7, 1992. Unlike her brothers, she didn't follow their lead on playing basketball, but that doesn't mean she wasn't keenly aware of the impact her father has had on the sport.
In an interview on TODAY, she spilled the details on when she realized just how important her dad was. "I was like 10, 11 years old when I finally just Googled him and was trying to understand why everyone was so obsessed, why everyone didn't think he just had a regular job like I did," she said on the show. "It definitely took a minute for it to hit me, but no joke, I Googled him and was like, 'OK, now I get it.'"
She ended up studying sports management at Syracuse University, where she met Rakeem Christmas. The pair together had a baby boy, Rakeem Michael Christmas, in 2019, who's Jordan's first grandchild. Today, Jasmine works for the Nike Jordan brand with her older brother Marcus—scheduling appearances, photoshoots, and media coverage for the Charlotte Hornets.
In an interview with NBA.com, Jasmine explained that when she watches the series episodes on Sundays, that's the first time she sees them. She was five years old when this all took place, so naturally, she has some questions, and who's better to ask than her father?
"I'm definitely texting him nonstop, she said to NBA.com. "I think there hasn't been an episode, a Sunday where I haven't been like, 'This happened—let me know your thoughts,' I was super young, so I'm really taking this in as a fan."
She also posted a throwback to her mom this past June:
Jordan has two children with his wife Yvette Prieto.
Victoria and Ysabel Jordan
Identical twins Victoria and Ysabel Jordan were born on Febuary 9, 2014. Jordan met his second wife, Prieto, at a nightclub in Miami in 2007. They later had an estimated $10 million wedding in 2013 at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, followed by a reception at Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida.
Less than a year later, the twins were born and are now growing up at Michael and Yvette's home in South Florida. Unlike their half-siblings, because the twins so much younger, their lives are, understandably, kept very private.
WATCH 'THE LAST DANCE' ON ESPN+
Shop Air Jordans
For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.
RELATED STORIES
