The Truth About Michael Jordan's Son Marcus' Legal Issues
From mid-April until mid-May 2020, basketball fans spent every Sunday night glued to The Last Dance, ESPN's docu-series on Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan's storied career. While the 10-episode event primarily explored Michael's time on the court, the series renewed interest in the Hall of Famer's life on the sidelines, too, including his five children. Born in 1990, the NBA star's second-oldest son, Marcus Jordan, excelled at basketball in school, playing for the University of Central Florida, where he ultimately received a degree in hospitality management, per NBC News.
While Marcus did not follow Michael's path into professional sports, he did inherit his dad's competitive nature. "For us, we're all naturally competitive. We all got that gene," he told the Chicago Sun Times in May 2020. "At times when we would play basketball, there would definitely be some competitive moments in the gym, talking trash or whatever the case may be." And, as Marcus added, he believes The Last Dance "should end all debates as to who is the greatest of all time."
"I don't think what my dad did for the game of basketball could be repeated," Marcus explained. That being said, inspired by his father's coveted line of Air Jordan sneakers, Marcus has made his own mark with his boutique streetwear store Trophy Room. However, Marcus encountered some bumps in the road on his way to success and he's had multiple run-ins with the law — instances exacerbated by his father's fame, undoubtedly.
Marcus Jordan's tweets sparked an investigation into a Las Vegas nightclub
While it's not unusual to read stories about the social exploits of stars' kids, Michael Jordan's son Marcus Jordan landed himself — and a Las Vegas nightclub — in hot water when he tweeted about his underage spree. "Last night was stupid," Marcus wrote in a since-deleted tweet in 2010 (via the Orlando Sentinel). "... 35k at Haze... Totals 50k something the whole day.. Damn!! Going to the pool again today.. Gotta relax!"
Excessive spending might not seem out of the ordinary, but it's obviously ill-advised to admit on a public forum when the establishment in question — Haze Nightclub and Liquid Pool Lounge, per ESPN — isn't allowed to serve those who don't meet the legal age requirements. One source confirmed that Marcus and older brother Jeffrey Jordan "charged more than $50,000 worth of alcohol" to their suite while in town for Michael's fantasy basketball camp.
"I didn't mean it the way it came across," Marcus later told Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman (via the Orlando Sentinel). "My family and friends know the type of person I am." At the time, the Nevada Gaming Control Board's Randall Sayre told the Sentinel that MGM International was "in the early stages of an inquiry to see 'where the system broke down.'"
The exact findings of the investigation are unclear as Nevada Gaming Control Board enforcement chief Jerry Markling told ESPN that "the control board's findings would not be made public." However, he did divulge that "punishments ... depend on the infraction's scope, and could involve verbal warnings, fines, or in extreme cases suspending an operator's gambling license."
Marcus Jordan was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction in Omaha
For the second son of NBA legend Michael Jordan, college proved to be a troublesome period as he was arrested in July 2012 "following a disturbance outside a downtown hotel," per ESPN. According to reports, police responded to an Embassy Suites in Omaha, Neb. where they "found hotel security trying to subdue Marcus," who was in the midst of an argument with two women in the hotel driveway just after 2 a.m.
Jordan was allegedly "very animated, intoxicated and uncooperative." It "took multiple officers to control and handcuff him," and he was ultimately booked at the Douglas County Department of Corrections for "resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and obstructing." However, he was released the same day.
As the Orlando Sentinel reported at the time of the incident, the University of Central Florida had not yet decided how to handle Marcus' arrest. "After gathering all of the facts," UCF Athletics said in an official statement, "we will deal with this situation in an appropriate manner." Yet, while consequences weren't revealed to the public, less than two months later, UCF announced that Marcus opted to leave the basketball team his senior year to pursue possible business ventures, per ESPN.
Even prior to this incident, there was drama involving Marcus and the UCF basketball team.
Marcus Jordan cost the University of Central Florida its Adidas deal
While the average spectator might think it's sensible to witness Marcus Jordan sporting his dad Michael Jordan's "Air Jordan" line of Nike sneakers, this Hall of Famer's son sparked quite the controversy when he took to the basketball court for the University of Central Florida. In fact, the freshman guard's footwear cost the school dearly. When he helped his team win its game against Saint Leo in 2009, his choice of shoes called the school's relationship with Adidas into question.
According to ESPN, UCF was in the final year of its five-year endorsement deal with the popular brand at the time. However, because the contract required both UCF coaches and athletes to use the company's apparel and equipment, Adidas chose to abandon the agreement when Marcus refused to wear anything but his Air Jordans. Marcus later explained UCF promised him Adidas had approved his decision to wear Air Jordans before he committed to the school, but that the company went back on its word as the season started.
"[Adidas] told everyone back in the States — or at least the regional people that my school was dealing with — everyone was going to have to wear Adidas or they were going to drop the school," Marcus told Complex. "The school didn't want to go back on what they told me, because it was definitely a deciding factor on why I committed to UCF." Marcus added that he "probably wouldn't have come" to UCF otherwise.
Now, with Trophy Room's success, it seems everything truly worked out for the best for Marcus and his career.