Many sports enthusiasts consider Michael Jordan the greatest professional basketball player of all time. However, the NBA legend currently has fans worried about his well-being.
Jordan traveled to Monaco with his wife, Yvette Prieto, for the Monaco vs. Barcelona UEFA Champions League soccer match on Sept. 19. Monaco’s team won 2-1.
Photos of the American billionaire in the European country drew concerned reactions from social media users after Bleacher Report shared images of Jordan on Instagram. Fans who zoomed in instantly noticed his sclera (the white of the eyes) appeared discolored.
“Wassup with his eyes, man?” one person wrote in the comment section. Someone else asked, “Does he have jaundice??? His eyes are way too yellow.”
A third fan wrote, “Mike doesn’t look the healthiest. He might have to lay off them cigars & Cognac.”
Jaundice is a medical condition that turns the skin, sclera, and mucous membranes yellow. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the disease can be caused by liver dysfunction.
“His liver is begging for help,” one Instagram user posted about Michael Jordan. Yet another account exclaimed, “Check the GOAT’s liver!”
In addition, people on the internet offered the six-time NBA champion advice. For instance, someone suggested, “MJ, drink some water, bro, damn.”
There was also speculation His Airness could have been smoking marijuana. An Instagram user wondered, “Is dude high or is his liver shot?”
Jordan was known as a party animal in the 90s. According to his former teammates and players, he had a history of drinking beer while golfing all day then hitting the basketball court for a game. Today he can often be spotted partying on yachts with friends while smoking a cigar.
Rare Michael Jordan Story. 🔥
— NBA Strife ツ (@strifeomg) July 20, 2024
Former Chicago Blackhawks player Jeremy Roenick once said that Jordan golfed and drank beer with him all afternoon long and then dropped 44 PTS while shooting 66% against the Cavaliers that night. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/cKQpRRfUS9
Magic Johnson shared a similar story about a time Jordan, who he described as the “strongest, not basketball player … athlete I’ve ever seen” wanted him to hang out late.
“I said Mike I can’t hang till 4 a.m., have drinks, get up go play 18 rounds of golf, sleep for hour and then come get 30 [points] by halftime,” Johnson told Shannon Sharpe on “Club Shay Shay.” “I know who I am.”
Magic Johnson on Michael Jordan's pregame routines:
— The Jordan Rules (@Rules23Jordan) December 19, 2022
“Jordan was the strongest athlete I’ve ever seen. I told Mike I can’t hang till 4am, have drinks, play 18 rounds of golf and get 30 by halftime. I know who I am.” #NBA #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/vhnobR0Noe
This is not the first time there has been buzz about the color of Jordan’s eyes. Following the premiere of Netflix’s 10-part “The Last Dance” docuseries in 2020, viewers theorized about MJ possibly being sick.
“Yellow eyes should not be ignored because they are a sign of something more going on. There is literally more than meets the eye,” ophthalmologist Dr. Val Phua told VICE in 2020 in response to Jordan’s appearance in “The Last Dance.”
The Eagle Eye Centre Singapore physician also said, “Leaving eye conditions untreated includes compromise in vision and even blindness.”
As questions swirl about his health, Jordan has expressed interest in helping others receive medical treatment. The North Carolina-raised athlete teamed with Novant Health to open three clinics in his home state.
Two Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinics were established in Charlotte. A grand opening for Wilmington’s Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic took place in May 2024.
“Everyone is worthy of access to quality health care, no matter where you live or if you have insurance,” Jordan said in a press release earlier this year.
He continued, “I’m truly inspired by the many powerful stories of people who are now thriving thanks to the support of our Charlotte medical clinics.”
Jordan was previously married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989. She received a reported $168 million settlement after filing for divorce for the second time in 2006. They shared three children, Jeffrey, 35, Marcus, 33, and Jasmine, 31, who have each become involved with their father’s sneaker line.
The NBA Hall of Famer wed Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto in April 2013. The couple, who met in 2008 and got engaged by 2011, share 10-year-old twin daughters named Victoria and Ysabel.
