Mike Tyson and Michael Jordan. Credits: USA Today Sports

Just a few months before his first marriage with Juanita Vanoy, Michael Jordan had expressed disdain about tying the knot. In a March 1989 GQ feature about him, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year touched upon the subject of women and relationships. During the interview, Jordan’s apparent lack of trust in women was evident.

The mistrust arose from the fact that a woman could just talk him into marriage to get a big chunk of his boundless money and fame. Therefore, the then 26-year-old Jordan refused to trust women except for one.

Right now, I don’t trust no one except my mother,” disclosed the 1988 scoring champion.

This lack of faith stemmed from a personal incident as well. At that juncture, USA Today was filled with details about Robin Givens’ turbulent divorce from boxing trailblazer Mike Tyson. When the Bulls Ace read about their divorce, he found it disconcerting. As per Jordan, Givens had approached him as well and wanted to start something serious.

“On her way from Eddie Murphy to Mike Tyson, Ms. Givens had stopped off at Michael’s address for a spell. “It got tired in five, six days,” says Mi­chael.” However, luckily for him, MJ saw it through and avoided the situation, “I could see it.” He could see she wasn’t dating men—she was dating growth industries.”

He wondered that had he given in to her advances, he would have been in emotional jeopardy. He believed that Givens was only chasing names that were at the top of their game. This incident solidified his belief that marrying someone can eviscerate his heart. Despite these reservations, MJ couldn’t resist the charm of a wedding. Six months after this GQ interview, he married his long-term sweetheart Juanita Vanoy.

Michael Jordan built a family with Juanita Vanoy

It wasn’t like it was all roses for Jordan when it came to Vanoy. Before they married, she was pregnant with his child in 1988 and young Jordan was seemingly unwilling to take the responsibility. The pregnant lady threatened a paternity claim but then MJ worked out a mutual understanding through his legal team. In September 1989, the pair decided to get married in a private ceremony.

The 1988 DPOY was afraid that if he went to a public ceremony, his near and dear ones wouldn’t approve of it if the preacher asked for an objection to their union. Therefore, his first marriage was a hush-hush affair from the beginning. Even after the marriage, the husband and wife shared a tumultuous relationship considering MJ’s commitments. Their way of life differed significantly, as Jordan once remarked, “I’m more down-home Southern, Juanita’s more city-like.”

Despite this glaring difference, they built a family and held on to their marriage for the sake of their children. They became parents to Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine. Vanoy eventually filed for a divorce in 2002, but the couple reconciled. However, the three children saw their parents divorce in 2006 after the two failed to reach a mutual understanding. Despite this divorce and his initial skepticism about women, the former Charlotte Hornets owner married Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto in 2013.