The Kingdom Has Come...To An End...

The greatest player in the history of the NBA and the most celebrated union is about to close. Michael "His Airness" Jordan, (from here on be known as the King) will desolve his marriage with Juanita Jordan (from here on known as the Queen) due to "irreconcilable differences". Papers were file with the Lake County Circuit Court this year. The Queen, filed for divorce back in January of 2002 but withdrew her petition a month later, with the hope of restructuring their union. The two said that attempts to reconcile their marriage had failed and future reconciliation "would be empractical and not in the best interest of the family."

Juanita Jordan, formerly known as Juanita Vanoy (birthname) and Michael met at a Chicago restaurant back in his second season of the NBA in 1982 and were married on September 2, 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This 17-year marriage had done well in keeping their private lives secured and out of tabloid memoirs, until a women in the state of Illinois (Karla Knafel) claimed that "His Airness" was the father of her soon to be baby. Michael in turn made payments and restitution to the female in the amount of $25,000.00 thousand dollars in hoping that this would keep, this sort of publicity hush and out of the news. The female later (after spending the sum given) requested additional funding in the amount of $5.million dollars (upon an agreement that Jordan and she had when he retired) and soon, it was released to the world of the Kings indiscrestion. With further investigation into the matter, it was found that the female's baby was not the Kings! But still, it was known that there was a sexual affair involved ( 3 years) and had been continuous for some time.

Juanita Vanoy Jordan, was quite a lady during the early years of their marriage, dealing with the barrage of publicity, traveling and mass media coverage of one of the worlds greatest icons. It takes a remarkable woman to be able to maintain a house hold, raise children and be a superwoman, to such an icon of the sports and entertainment industry. We know not of their private interactions, nor dissagreements or everyday dealings. But being estimated at a worth of 408 million dollars, it is such a tradgic ending, to a story-book affair. The Queen is estimated in receiving a least 200 million of the kingdom, as well as, have the custody of the children. They will share joint custody of the three children that are at the ages of 18, 16 and 14. Two of the children (Jeffery and Marcus) are student-athletes on the same high school basketball team that was premired on ESPN2 this past year. The other child is a lovely female named Jasmine.

I knew the Jordan's in their early stages (before marriage) and found Juanta to be just the right person for Micheal, due to her sincerity, concern and love for him, as a person first. I am deeply saddened about this news because, with the divorce rate rising ever so high in this new millenium, and the need for Black families to uphold their bond and structure, the only people that are truly most affected, are the children. It shows that even the "greatest of them all" are fallible and human.

I will, as I wish all of you to do, is keep them in your prayers and hope that all will be well in this transition...but I am sure, that for Juanita Vanoy Jordan...200 million reasons, will soothe some of the damage and departure.