NBA legend Michael Jordan’s first daughter, Jasmine, has a son, and the basketball star is relishing being a grandpa.
Michael Jordan is many things to people, but his most prized title is being a doting grandfather to his grandson, Rakeem Michael Christmas.
National Basketball Association Hall of Fame member and legendary athlete Michael Jordan smiles before being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on November 22, 2016 | Photo: Getty Images
Last year, the NBA legend shared some bits about being a grandfather for the first time in an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Craig Melvin. Talking about how fun it was for him, Jordan said:
“It’s fun because I can actually hold him and play with him and I’m having fun watching him.”
The former Chicago Bulls star’s grandson, who his parents address with the initials RMC or Baby Rakeem, is the son of his first daughter, Jasmine Jordan.
Jasmine and her fiance, Rakeem, met in Syracuse while she was studying for a degree in sports management, and he was a Syracuse University basketball player.
According to CheatSheet, Jasmine welcomed her first child and Michael’s first grandson with her boyfriend, Rakeem Christmas, last year’s spring. The doting couple announced the birth of their son via Instagram in May.
The proud mom shared a photo of her baby boy’s hands wrapped around her finger with a tattoo of the number 25 visible.
As noted by Cheatsheet, the tattoo represents the numb of Rakeem's jersey number when he played for Syracuse University. She captioned the photo, “Just In Time • I Love You Son #1stMothersDay.”
Christmas also confirmed the birth of his son by sharing a cartoon drawing of his family on his social media account. The cartoon posted was "Family Guy" themed and spotlighted his newborn wearing his old college jersey.
Jasmine and her fiance, Rakeem, met in Syracuse while she was studying for a degree in sports management, and he was a Syracuse University basketball player. An AJC news article reports that the two announced their engagement in 2018.
Although it is not clear if they have tied the knot just yet, fans are hoping that the wedding bells ring soon. Jasmine is Jordan’s daughter from his ex-wife, Juanita Vanoy.
Now remarried to Cuban model Yvette Prieto and seventeen years after retiring from basketball, the former basketball star has embarked on a new career of philanthropy and community service.
Yvette Prieto and Michael Jordan attend the Cincoro Tequila launch at CATCH Steak on September 18, 2019 | Photo: Getty Images
Daily Mail recalls that Jordan donated $3 million for hurricane relief, another $5 million for the National Museum of African American History in Washington D.C., and undisclosed millions to support charities in the Chicago-area.
He has also commissioned a $7 million health facility which he called the Novant Health Michael Jordan Facility Medical Clinic.
NBA legend and tournament host Michael Jordan attends the 13th annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational gala at the ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter on April 4, 2014 | Photo: Getty Images
This facility is the first of two that the legend will fund to aid uninsured or under-insured patients in the Charlotte area.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmtnbmlnZXqutcKhmJ6kXZ%2B8s7DAp2Slp6aawG6uxKKloGWXp66vsM%2BaZGqrpGK0b7TTpqM%3D