“Going to get burnt”: John Salley gets honest about Michael Jordan’s son’s inescapable public scrutiny

Four-time NBA Champion John Salley believes that Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus Jordan, was bound to get in trouble at some point because of the burden of expectations on him. Salley said that Jordan’s celebrated career has always put a magnifying glass on Marcus’ life. So anything he does that is slightly off track is instantly weaponized by everyone.

Salley was asked about Marcus’ arrest during an interview with DJ Vlad on Wednesday. Even though the former Chicago Bulls star admitted that he is on team Larsa Pippen in her split with Marcus, Salley had compassion for his former teammate’s son.

“Michael Jordan’s son, it’s a heavy crown to carry, man. You don’t get to be human. You get to be human, but you’re human with a magnifying glass on you,” Salley said. (33:30)

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“So, you know, if you put the magnifying glass and the sun is on you, you're gonna get burnt. So, that's what happened with Michael's son. There's just so much happening, that eventually he was going to get burnt,” he added.

Marcus Jordan has seen his fair share of controversies, mostly stemming from his relationship with Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen. However, his wild lifestyle has also got him in trouble.

In February, Jordan was arrested and charged with DUI, resisting arrest and possession of cocaine. After lab testing, it was confirmed that the Bulls legend’s son had ketamine not cocaine.

Marcus Jordan has admitted to substance abuse issues. He is currently working on the problem and is on a journey to sobriety. In May, he uploaded a picture on Instagram, revealing that he has been sober for 40 days.

Marcus Jordan tried to use his father's name to avoid arrest

Body cam footage of Marcus Jordan's arrest in February showed that he tried using his father, Michael Jordan's name, to get out of trouble. The incident went viral all over social media, reflecting the kind of pressure and attention John Salley alluded to in his interview.

“I'm Marcus Jordan. I'm Michael Jordan's son. I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just trying to get home. And I made a wrong turn. OK?” Jordan had said.

The hearing for Jordan's case was originally supposed to take place on June 23. After his team filed a motion, the date was revised to September.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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