?Could Have Gotten Myself in Trouble?: Years Before $168 Million Divorce, Michael Jordan Confessed Ulterior Motives of Marrying Ex-Wife Juanita

Michael Jordan‘s divorce from his ex-wife, Juanita Vanoy, with a $168 million settlement remains one of the biggest in US history. The two got married in 1989, and years later the great MJ confessed the ulterior motive behind him marrying so early in his career. Since their separation, Jordan has found love again whereas Juanita has chosen to remain single.

The Chicago Bulls legend remarried in 2013 to Yvette Prieto. His stature from the time of his first marriage and the second one has a stark difference. Back in 1998, during an interview with Vanity Fair, MJ detailed the reasons why he considered marrying so young. Concerned about his life and making the wrong decisions, he tied the knot for the first time at the age of 26.

Michael Jordan detailed other reasons why he got married to Juanita

The young MJ was still trying to establish himself as a superstar in the game at the time he got married to Juanita. He would later go on to become arguably the greatest basketball player to ever grace the game. At the time in 1989, he only had one NBA MVP award and a few All-Star appearances. After that, he simply outperformed everyone in the league and filled his trophy cabinet with everything there was to win. Jordan finished his NBA career with 6 NBA championships, 6 Finals MVP, 5 season MVP awards, and 14 All-Star appearances. Other than that, the great man also won 2 Olympic gold medals and helped popularise the game worldwide.

During his interview in 1998 with Vanity Fair magazine, Jordan talked about the reasons why he got married so early. He said, “Before the 1989-90 season, I married Juanita in the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas in front of a few friends.” He then explained why he got married at the time. Jordan said “That experience of being a husband and a father provided a balance and a focus away from basketball. I could have gotten myself in trouble, I don’t know what kind of trouble, but if I had been single, playing basketball, and making a lot of money, I could have made some wrong decisions.”

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He also credited his firstborn and the family environment he had around him for the focus he had in the league. With no distractions outside and a family to be responsible for, Jordan’s tunnel vision took him to greater heights in his career. He said that the family humbles you and keeps you grounded as they do not care for your superstar status outside the house. He added that “I was a father and a husband. They wouldn’t have allowed me to be anything else.”

At such a young age, Jordan had the vision and wisdom to understand the consequences of his actions.

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