Why did neither of Michael Jordan's sons make the NBA?

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Michael Jordan is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and many expected that his two sons would follow in his footsteps. While both of them tried their luck, in the end, neither pursued a career in professional basketball despite Jordan being an owner of an NBA team. But why?

Michael Jordan’s kids weren’t blessed with his natural gifts

Jordan has two sons from his first marriage with Juanita Vanoy, namely Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan. Jeffrey was born in 1988, while Marcus was born two years later. Like any son of a prominent professional athlete, both faced immense pressure from a young age to be the heir to their father’s throne. It didn’t help their cause that neither of them managed to receive their father’s genes in height and athleticism. Jeffrey grew to 6'1" while Marcus only ended up being two inches taller; a stark difference from his father’s 6’6″ frame. Nevertheless, both players attempted to pursue a future in basketball.

When Jeffrey started his basketball journey at Loyola Academy in Illinois, people were expecting the second coming of Air Jordan. After his first season, most people realized that wouldn’t be the case. Jeffrey didn't attract major college offers, but he did manage to enter the University of Illinois as a walk-on in 2007. On the other hand, Marcus found a bit of success in high school. As an undersized shooting guard, Marcus was able to pick up some of his father’s shooting prowess, but as a southpaw version. Earning a three-star status, Marcus received multiple Division 1 college offers and decided to play for the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Jeffrey, Marcus Jordan say goodbye to basketball senior year of college

Jeffrey's collegiate career was far from remarkable. Through his first three seasons at Illinois, he averaged fewer than two points per game. He’d give his basketball career one last try by transferring to the same school as his younger brother, but he left UCF in the middle of the season citing personal reasons.

Now we move to who most people believe is the better brother between the two. Marcus’ college career was off to a promising start. He’d even earn All-Conference Freshman Team honors after boasting averages of 8.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Marcus would go on to have a solid 3-year collegiate career. You can even make the argument that he was at least good enough to hear his name called on draft night.

However, Marcus decided to follow his brother and step away from basketball his senior season to focus on life outside of the sport. Whether it was the challenges of living in the shadow of a legendary parent or lack of interest in the sport, their decisions have left fans wondering what could have been.

What do Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan do now?

Ultimately, the story of Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan is not one of failure, but one of finding their own paths outside of basketball. Their father never pressured them into pursuing something they weren’t passionate about and even went on record in a Today interview saying all he wants is for his kids to enjoy their lives.

Instead of playing in the NBA, both have pursued careers in business and entrepreneurship. Jeffrey is currently the co-founder of the Jordan Avakian Group, a Chicago-based consultant group that he started in 2020. Meanwhile, Marcus runs a high-end online sneaker store called “Trophy Room.”

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