The collaborative documentary between Netflix and ESPN, “The Last Dance,” offered numerous memorable instances. This widely discussed and somewhat contentious miniseries provided a comprehensive exploration of the Chicago Bulls’ dominant era, focusing on the final championship season in 1997-98.
However, viewers who believed they glimpsed Michael Jordan’s residence during his interviews for the documentary were sorely mistaken. The basketball icon, known for his privacy, did not permit the filming crew (nor the show’s audience) to enter his personal dwelling. Instead, he opted to conduct his interview in three distinct locations, each more extravagant than the last.
Should you have noticed the grand residences in which Michael Jordan was featured and speculated that they might be part of his actual abode, it’s important to understand that reality surpasses those assumptions. This fact is corroborated by the presence of Michael Jordan’s property near Chicago, frequently referenced in the miniseries as the location of Jordan’s Breakfast Club pre-practice sessions. The property is now on the market, with Katherine Malkin of Compass overseeing the listing.
For nearly a decade, Michael Jordan’s house has been available for purchase. This house, situated on a 7-acre plot, has been Jordan’s residence since 1991, the year of his inaugural NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls. At that time, he and his then-wife, Juanita Vanoy, acquired the property for $2M. Subsequently, they invested heavily in customizing and enhancing the 9-bedroom home, incorporating distinctive features such as a pool with a grass island centerpiece.
Following Jordan’s divorce from Vanoy, he made the decision to part ways with the two-story house. The property was initially listed for an astonishing $29M in 2012; however, this Highland Park home struggled to attract interested buyers. A series of price adjustments ensued: one year after its initial listing in 2013, the price dropped to $21 million. It was relisted later that same year at $16M. The price has remained unchanged since it reached $14.8M in 2015.
Interestingly, the numbers in the property’s listing price—1 4, 8 5 5, 0 0 0—sum up to 23, Michael Jordan’s iconic basketball jersey number (which is also prominently displayed on the property gates).
While this may sound substantial, the listing highlights the inclusion of every conceivable luxury amenity in the property.
Michael Jordan’s residence was custom-built for the basketball luminary during the pinnacle of his career. Boasting 9 bedrooms, 14 parking spaces, and unique customizations such as a door sourced directly from the original Playboy mansion, the sprawling 56,000-square-foot dwelling was constructed entirely by Jordan over a four-year period, completed in 1995. Subsequently, a significant renovation took place in 2009.
Spanning three levels, the mansion features five fireplaces, generous skylights bathing the rooms in natural light, a chef’s kitchen, and a private cinema. As expected, the tailored home includes a regulation-sized basketball gym. Additionally, there’s a circular infinity pool, putting green, tennis court, and cigar room, all adorned with Jordan’s personal touch.
A three-bedroom guesthouse on the premises likely hosted numerous sports celebrities over the years.
Why has Michael Jordan’s residence remained on the market for such an extended period? Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that million-dollar homes often require considerable time to sell, and the higher the price, the more protracted the search for the right buyer.
Regardless of the celebrity stature of the owners, mansions priced above $10M, especially in locations outside luxury hubs like Los Angeles or New York City, tend to take years to secure a suitable buyer. As demonstrated by 50 Cent’s experience, his expansive compound in Farmington, Connecticut took an astonishing 12 years to find a purchaser. Additionally, the high level of customization presents a challenge.
Michael Jordan expended substantial resources to tailor the home according to his preferences, but individual tastes don’t always align with those of potential buyers. In fact, the more personalized a residence is, the more difficult it becomes to identify a suitable buyer, a fact illustrated by the prolonged market presence of Shaquille O’Neal’s distinctive Florida residence.
