“He wanted my son to call him ‘Mike’ or ‘Michael’,” Michael Jordan‘s daughter told Essence on MJ’s struggles with becoming a grandparent. It was an unexpectedly emotional milestone for the six‑time NBA champion. However, Jasmine admitted that the Bulls legend has accepted it and loves the new title of ‘Grandpa’. Her son Rakeem—affectionately ‘Keemie’—turned six this spring. After orchestrating the best birthday party for her son, JJ shared a special message of gratitude as well as an intriguing decision.
Jordan’s daughter Jasmine welcomed her first child, Rakeem Michael Christmas, on May 14, 2019. While she detailed her father’s adorable struggles, Jasmine appreciated the Bulls legend for being the best grandfather. They adorably call him Keemie. Jasmine dated former basketball player Rakeem Christmas. They share Keemie together, although the two have reportedly been separated for some time now. Just recently, Jasmine took to Instagram to appreciate the organizers and everyone involved in helping her create the best birthday party for her son.
In her post caption, she made a hilarious declaration that her son won’t need any birthday parties for a few years because of how grand and exciting his 6th birthday party was. “As if Keemie getting baptized wasn’t enough, I continued his birthday celebration with his Big Birthday Bash! He won’t need another party for some yeaarrssss babyyyy cause things I did: THAT,” she wrote.
On the special day, she also shared rare glimpses of her son on social media, along with a heart-touching message for Keemie, who is her father’s favorite. Even amid global travel and packed NBA schedules, MJ logs daily FaceTime dates with Keemie. An ESSENCE Live highlight that showed how “Grandpa Jordan” stays close, whether courtside or coast‑to‑coast.
Beyond her own college hoops days, Jasmine carved out a marketing career at Jordan Brand—joining in 2017 as a field rep scouting WNBA talent and advancing to sports‑marketing exec by 2022. There, she’s signed stars like Aerial Powers and Dearica Hamby, championing the next generation of women athletes.
A few years back, a viral jet‑ski tale showcased MJ’s priorities on social media.
Michael Jordan’s cash‑over‑kid incident
During the long-forgotten Separation Anxiety podcast, MJ’s son, Marcus, and his ex-girlfriend dedicated an entire episode to revealing family secrets. Both shared several details, including how their families felt about each other. During this segment, Marcus shared a very intriguing story about his father being scared of water and choosing money over his daughter!
While the Chicago Bulls legend indeed had a fear of water, he knows how to swim. He was seen enjoying swimming during his European vacation with his wife, Yvette Prieto. So, how much truth is there in the next story? Marcus detailed that his father and sister were riding a jet ski during their vacation in the Bahamas.
He further added that their jet ski had unfortunately capsized. Though Jasmine floated safely thanks to her life vest, Michael Jordan himself wasn’t wearing one, and found himself face-down in open water. As the siblings bobbed alongside the overturned jet ski, Marcus says he watched his father scan the waves—and then make an astonishing choice. He dove not for his daughter, but for a floating rubber-band bundle of cash, reportedly $40,000 in Michael’s own money.
“My sister was floating, she had a life vest on. My dad was on the water, he wasn’t wearing a life vest. All you see is this big wad of cash like probably 40 grand in a rubber band. My dad literally went for the 40 grand first.… My dad said, ‘She got on a life vest but I gotta go grab this cash,” Marcus said.
However, Marcus clarified that Jordan made the decision because Jasmine was wearing a life vest and was safe. While this has to be one of the most hilarious stories, neither Jordan nor Jasmine has ever confirmed it. Whether there’s any truth to this story or not, Jordan and his daughter seemingly have always shared a great bond.
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