The Last Dance

I’ve never been so into sports. Before kids I would use Football Sundays as an opportunity to make a dent in my stack of magazines while Hubs and friends watched the games. The only athletics I like to watch are documentary series, like ESPN's 30 for 30 or an HBO Sports special. HBO does a great job of showing the backstories and emotional sides of athletes' experiences, which is really all I care about when it comes to sports. I particularly liked the 24/7 Penguins Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic, from 2011. I fell in love with the Caps and their players. Hubs and I even schlepped to Long Island to see the Caps play the Islanders.

Lately I've gotten into ESPN's documentary The Last Dance, about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. It's entertaining, and the 90's nostalgia aspects make me feel comforted during this crazy time. I'm also a huge fan of coach Phil Jackson and his hippie vibes. But- every Sunday when we watch I keep asking Hubs, "What about Michael Jordan's wife? Does he have kids? Where are the personal details?!" The show does get into some personal details, including info on his parents and siblings. But when it comes to Jordan's own marriage(s) and kids? Nothing. Zero Zilch Nada. For me, these details are the missing piece. For Hubs - and the show's director - these details are irrelevant. According to a Marie Claire article, director Jason Hehir said, "I wasn't interested in the opinion of any wife or kids in this... We had the storytellers we wanted, and I felt like we had the story covered from every angle."

Not so much. But at least we have Wikipedia. And Marie Claire. Some deets? Jordan was married to Juanita Vanoy, a loan officer from the Southside of Chicago, for 17 years. They were set up by a mutual friend in 1985 and married in 1989. They have three kids together. Jordan and Vanoy divorced in 2006 and she received $168 million in the divorce settlement. Jordan then married Yvette Prieto, a Cuban model who grew up in Miami, in 2013. The two had met at a nightclub in 2007. Their wedding cost an estimated $10 million. They have twin girls, born in 2014 on February 9 (my b-day :) You're welcome.

Yay sports,
AES