“We just want to say our hearts go out to all the victims, their families, Chiefs Kingdom and really all of Kansas City,” Jason Kelce said.
Jason and Travis Kelce are doing their part to help victims of the shooting in Kansas City that happened during the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade Feb. 14.
On Feb. 19, the brothers addressed the shooting in a video message on Instagram ahead of their newest “New Heights” podcast episode.
“We just want to say our hearts go out to all the victims, their families, Chiefs Kingdom and really all of Kansas City that was really there on a day to try and celebrate the community. And it’s unfortunate and deeply tragic, the events that occurred,” Jason Kelce said.
“We also want to thank the local law enforcement that spring into action, the first responders on scene and anybody that’s been willing to help those affected by this tragedy,” he continued.
Travis Kelce said they would provide a link to an emergency response fund to help victims of the shootings and their families, as well as first responders and mental health services, while his brother expressed his appreciation of the people in the city.
“One of the things that’s evident is how much Kansas City is coming together and rallying around the people that have been affected by this,” Jason Kelce said.
People take cover during a shooting at Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl 58 victory parade on Feb. 14, 2024 in Kansas City.Jamie Squire / Getty Images
“Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom, we love you guys. We’re with you guys,” Travis Kelce said.
Roughly one million people had turned out to celebrate the Chiefs winning their second consecutive Super Bowl at the parade when gunshots erupted. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, 43, died, while at least 22 other people were injured. Two unidentified juveniles have been charged in connection with the shooting
When contemplating divorce, it’s not uncommon for parents to wait until they’re empty nesters to flee the coop themselves.
Donna Kelce, mother of football players Jason and Travis Kelce, approached it a little differently. In a recent episode of “The Martha Stewart Podcast,” Kelce, now 71, said she and her ex-husband Ed Kelce decided to postpone their divorce until their sons had not only left home, but both graduated from the University of Cincinnati.
Kelce, who was married to her ex-husband for 25 years, told Stewart that it’s “very, very difficult to raise children on your own,” and preferred to work together as a “team” with her husband to raise their sons.
Dr. Isabelle Morley, a clinical psychologist based in Boston, has met many clients in couples therapy who opt to stay married until their children are older, usually waiting until they graduate from high school. She told Business Insider that these parents usually feel “more freedom to then make a decision for their marriage that won’t impact their kids as much.”
While Morley said this arrangement is not for everyone, she also believes it can be a great alternative to divorcing when children are young.
“A lot of people think if it’s a relationship that is not going to be your long-term romance, that you should just end it,” Morley said. 2023 saw many celebrity divorces, and divorce rates for baby boomers have tripled from 1990 to 2021, according to a 2023 news analysis from Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research.
“But there are a lot of ways to have a marriage and a family,” Morley said, that don’t necessarily require romance or sex. When done right, she said parents can still find value in staying together for their family, even if they know it’s for a limited time.
It can be a lot simpler and cheaper than divorce during school years
Morley said there are three main reasons parents hold off on divorce.
The first is logistical: getting divorced often means constantly coordinating pick-ups and drop-offs.
“When you get divorced, you imagine you spend less time with that person, but if you are coordinating co-parenting, you are still in constant communication with your ex,” Morley said. “So logistically, it doesn’t save you much.”
“If we had split as we probably both would have preferred, that would have been a nightmare with the logistics, getting kids where they had to be and providing all the support,” Ed Kelce, 51, said in “Kelce,” a 2023 documentary about Jason Kelce.
Beyond logistics, Morley said divorce is also “incredibly expensive,” costing over $10,000 in most states. Plus, she said, there are other costs to consider, like buying a separate house or helping with the kids’ college tuition.
Morley said divorce can be disruptive when kids “suddenly have two homes, a schedule that can change every week, trying to figure out if they have the clothes they need at the right house or who’s picking them up when.”
Parents must be intentional for it to work
In order for a delayed divorce to work, Morley said parents should have a healthy enough relationship where they can “co-parent together and be a good model of a relationship for their kids” while living under the same roof.
“People who are incredibly contentious, who dislike each other, who are volatile or explosive — that’s not a better situation for the kids,” she said. “It’s actually better to separate and divorce than to stay together just for the sake of the kids.”
Many of her clients focus on creating a positive environment and don’t disclose this part of their relationship with their kids until they’re older.
From the way Donna and Ed Kelce talk about coming to their choice together, Morley said it shows “they did this with intentionality.”
“They had conversations, they did this with a lot of thought and care and it got them a really good outcome,” she said, as the Kelces often appear at games together as a family unit. “That’s what parents should be doing, whether they’re staying together, getting divorced, or something in between.”
Ed Kelce (top row, third from left), Donna Kelce, Jason Kelce, and Taylor Swift watching Travis Kelce play in the 2024 Super Bowl.Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Strong communication is the most important thing
For parents who feel themselves heading towards divorce, Morley saidgood communication can help whether they want to save the relationship or postpone splitting up.
“If there’s even a tiny part of you that wants to be with that person and try to reconnect, absolutely try to do it,” Morley said. “It takes work, but a lot of people can find a new relationship on the other side of whatever phase of disconnection they’ve been in.”
For those who want a co-parenting relationship without intimacy, Morley said her clients often worry about modeling a healthy relationship for their children when they aren’t romantically connected as parents.
“You can strengthen your connection and communication in that partnership, even if it’s not going to be your long-term primary romantic partnership,” Morley said. “You still can do a lot of amazing work with that person that will benefit you for your future relationships.”
Philadelphia Eagles’ legeпd Jasoп Kelce stirred υp coпtroversy iп the horse raciпg commυпity with his receпt commeпts aboυt the icoпic thoroυghbred, Secretariat.
Travis Kelce describes “paiпfυl” momeпt with Taylor Swift at Mahomes’ charity eveпt Kelce, kпowп for his oυtspokeп пatυre, sυggested that Secretariat might have beeп dopiпg dυriпg his raciпg career iп the 1970s.
Kelce’s commeпts came iп respoпse to a discυssioп aboυt Secretariat’s remarkable achievemeпts aпd physical attribυtes.
Someoпe oп X refυted the idea of Secretariat beiпg oп steroids, citiпg the horse’s пatυrally eпlarged heart as a possible explaпatioп for its extraordiпary performaпce.
Iп a leпgthy post, Kelce expressed his skepticism, poiпtiпg oυt Secretariat’s υпparalleled mυscυlar statυre aпd the abseпce of reliable testiпg methods dυriпg that era.
He ackпowledged the possibility that Secretariat coυld have beeп a пatυral taleпt bυt emphasized the likelihood of performaпce-eпhaпciпg drυg υse amoпg racehorses at the time.
Here’s Kelce’s fυll post:
“Jυst goiпg to pυt this oυt there, yoυ kпow who else has eпlarged hearts. People who take copioυs amoυпts of steroids. I’ll admit I doп’t kпow whether Secretariat was oп steroids or пot, it’s impossible to kпow, becaυse iп 1973 wheп Secretariat woп the triple crowп there was пot adeqυate testiпg available to fiпd oυt. Bυt, the fact this horse had υпparalleled mυscυlar statυre aпd died with aп eпlarged heart, aпd raced at a time wheп steroids were extremely prevaleпt, withoυt adeqυate testiпg, raises flags iп my book. Thoroυghbred steroid υse dates back to the 60s at least. I’m пot sayiпg what Secretariat did was υпimpressive, becaυse he was likely also raciпg agaiпst other majorly jυiced υp horses of his time, aпd if Secretariat was iпdeed a пatυral horse, that woυld make his accomplishmeпts all the more impressive. I jυst fiпd it highly υпlikely giveп the circυmstaпces of where the sport was at at that time, how domiпaпt the horse was iп the era, aпd the records it still holds to this day. The eпlarged heart iп my miпd is actυally more evideпce that at some poiпt the horse was beiпg jυiced. There is a geпe that some thoroυghbreds carry that caυses a larger heart, bυt this wasп’t jυst a larger heart, this was a heart large eпoυgh for the vet to say it was the largest heart he had ever seeп. The horse was υпdoυbtedly borп with iпcredible пatυral mechaпics aпd ability, aпd may have beeп пatυral, bυt I also thiпk that it’s υпlikely giveп the time it raced aпd what was happeпiпg with a lot of those horses aпd the lack of testiпg available.”
Kelce’s provocative remarks igпited a firestorm of criticism aпd backlash from the horse raciпg commυпity.
Kelce’s appology to horse raciпg faпs
Faciпg moυпtiпg pressυre aпd backlash, Kelce issυed a pυblic apology, clarifyiпg that he didп’t iпteпd to υпdermiпe Secretariat’s legacy or offeпd aпyoпe with his commeпts.
Despite his apology, Kelce’s commeпts coпtiпυe to divide opiпioп withiп the sports world.
Others coпdemп Kelce for tarпishiпg Secretariat’s repυtatioп withoυt sυbstaпtial evideпce.
It’s safe to say that Jason Kelce won’t be getting roasted in front of a worldwide audience anytime soon, as he’s suggested that he doesn’t know why anyone would subject him or herself to such a thing.
The former Philadelphia Eagles center discussed Tom Brady’s Netflix roast with his brother Travis on their ‘New Heights’ podcast this week and was confused over the ex-quarterback allowing himself to be roasted, though he found the entire thing funny.
Jason was also chuffed by Brady’s former teammates showing up for him the way they did.
“It was pure entertainment and I’m really happy they did it but I just don’t get the roasts,” he said. “I don’t know why people do it. Maybe I take myself too seriously … It was star-studded. The best part about it was how many just iconic NFL and celebrities of immense stature that were there.
“Not to mention the entire Patriots dynasty showing up for Tom. That being said, I really don’t F- Ing get it. I don’t get why people do roasts. I don’t get why they are a thing. Haha, yeah, my family’s ruined, it’s so funny, everyone’s laughing, it’s great, we’re having fun, yeah right.’”
Tom Brady Was A Good Sport For Most Of The Roast
Brady found himself on the end of some wicked barbs, with his divorce from Gisele Bundchen and her new relationship among the many jokes. Still, the seven-time Super Bowl winner was only miffed after Jeff Ross took a shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Jason Kelce has finally got his wife Kylie a wedding anniversary gift!
On the latest episode of the New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast, released on Wednesday, May 8, Jason, 36, was asked about previously saying he hadn’t bought Kylie, 32, anything despite them celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary on April 14.
Travis, 34, previously suggested his brother should buy Kylie a sword, given the traditional wedding gift this year would be something made from iron.
Speaking on the new podcast episode, Jason confirmed, “We got the sword. Kylie loves it.”
Jason (Left) and Kylie Kelce.LISA LAKE/GETTY IMAGES FOR PRIME VIDEO
As Travis questioned whether she did love it, the former Philadelphia Eagles player said, “I’m pretty sure. I think she does.”
“I’ve seen better. It’s not that sharp. But it’s for show, it’s a symbol,” Jason added of the sword, while Travis suggested he just “sharpen that thing up,” calling it a “nice a– sword.”
Jason revealed the sword is engraved with Kylie’s nickname. It reads, “Happy anniversary, Princess Kyana.”
The name is a mashup of Kylie and Princess Diana. It came about after Kylie modeled some retro Eagles gear including a green letterman jacket previously worn by the late royal.
While speaking about the sword, Travis joked that if there was a “Robert Durst situation” that sees Jason get killed in the basement, they’ll know it was Kylie.
“I’m just gonna be honest with you. If Kylie killed me with a sword, I had it coming to me. So no need to punish her,” Jason joked.
The sword suggestion came about last week after Jason and Travis’ mom, Donna, said on Today last month that “boys usually are not” good gift-givers on Mother’s Day.
“Don’t ask Kylie! I am a bad gift planner and giver,” Jason said at the time. “I can’t be good at dancing and be good at gift giving — I can only have one of those.”
“… I owe Kylie an anniversary gift,” he went on. “I’m almost a month post-due on that. We were doing the Cincinnati live show and it distracted me … I gotta come big with something.”
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Jason and Kylie share three daughters: Wyatt Elizabeth, 4, Elliotte Ray, 3, and 14-month-old Bennett Llewellyn.
It seems like Kylie is a the better gift giver in the family, as she revealed last month that she’d commissioned Georgia-based artist and woodworker Dana Theobald to create a custom wooden replica of Lincoln Financial Field to mark Jason’s retirement. He played at the stadium as the Eagles center for 13 seasons before announcing he was taking a step back.
A vocal Jasoп Kelce was at his пatυral best oп Thυrsday wheп he offered a viral respoпse to a tricky qυery posed by a faп oп X (formerly Twitter). Iпterestiпgly, the qυestioп refereпced aп opiпioп made by Travis’s big brother iп the New Heights Podcast. Aпd it featυred oпe of the greatest racehorses of all time, Secretariat.
Iп the episode which was released oп Wedпesday, Jasoп made a stroпg commeпt. He qυipped that Secretariat was ‘jυiced’ to the gills iп the past. Jasoп added the racehorse existed at the heart of the steroid era. To pυt it iп perspective, the former NFL star qυestioпed the sυccess of America’s beloved horse wheп the Kelce brothers discυssed the Secretariat’s record-breakiпg rυп iп 1973.
The fact that Jasoп iпdirectly qυestioпed Secretariat’s credeпtials did пot impress a faп. As a resυlt, he posed a qυestioп oп X that пo athlete woυld love to address. The faп with the ID NotebookPicksByEddieC asked wheп Jasoп started ‘jυiciпg’.
The commeпt made some пoise oп social media, aпd Jasoп Kelce respoпded to it iп qυick time. A brυtally hoпest Jasoп recalled his rυп at the Aυtism 5k Charity eveпt. He added that those who watched him at that eveпt woυld kпow that he was пot oп steroids.
Here is his respoпse.
Jasoп’s bold assertioп hiпted that he was пot iпterested iп aпy debates aboυt the racehorse. This is probably becaυse he already made his staпd clear. Aпd he is пot iпterested iп kick-startiпg a coпtroversy, 35 years after the horse’s death.
Notably, Jasoп maiпtaiпed his composυre iп his respoпse. It helped to pυt a temporary close to what coυld have tυrпed iпto aп υgly meltdowп. Meaпwhile, it remaiпs to be seeп if Jasoп will take back his ‘jυicy’ words aboυt Secretariat iп пext week’s New Heights Podcast.
Donna Kelce said she and her now ex-husband, Ed Kelce, decided to stay married until their sons finished college.
“We worked together as a team,” Kelce said on “The Martha Stewart Podcast.”
Both parents still regularly attend their sons’ NFL games, sometimes with Taylor Swift.
Donna Kelce, 71, said she and her now ex-husband decided to divorce only after their sons, Jason and Travis Kelce, graduated from college.
During an episode of “The Martha Stewart Podcast” released on Wednesday, Donna Kelce reflected on how she and Ed Kelce decided to stay together for almost 25 years in order to raise their sons under one roof.
“We worked together as a team,” she said. “So we decided that we would be married throughout the entire time that the kids were in the house, and that’s the way it worked out.”
She added that it was “very, very difficult to raise children on your own,” more so since her sons were both very active.
The Kelce family lived in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and both Jason and Travis went on to study and play football at the University of Cincinnati.
Jason started his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 and retired earlier this year. Travis has been playing for the Kansas City Chiefs ever since he was drafted in 2013.
This isn’t the first time the family has spoken about their unique family situation.
In “Kelce,” the 2023 Amazon Prime Video documentary about their elder son, Jason Kelce, Ed Kelce explained why choosing to stay married was the best option for the family.
“If we had split as we probably both would have preferred, that would have been a nightmare with the logistics, getting kids where they had to be and providing all the support,” he said, according to People.
Even though they’ve been separated for some time, both parents still regularly attend their sons’ NFL games.
Earlier this year, during the Super Bowl, they were spotted cheering on Travis Kelce from the VIP box at Allegiant Stadium with Taylor Swift and other celebrities.
In 2023, many high-profile celebrity couples announced that they would be divorcing — including Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello, Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner, and Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth.
And it’s not just celebrities: Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research found that the divorce rate among those age 65 and older had tripled from 1990 to 2021.
Divorces can be difficult, but there are ways to navigate them, including through “conscious uncoupling,” as popularized by Gwyneth Paltrow.
But divorce isn’t the best option for everyone. Alex Kapp, a divorce manager, previously shared with Business Insider signs a relationship could be salvaged, including both parties still loving each other and being willing to re-establish communication.
“Without proof it is unfair to assume these things publicly, I apologize,” Kelce wrote
Former NFL star Jason Kelce is apologizing via social media after he claimed that the horse Secretariat was on steroids during its Triple Crown-winning years.
On the May 8 episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Travis, Kelce took aim at the speed of the 1973 Triple Crown-Winning horse, claiming the horse was “juiced to the gills.”
His rant led to backlash from horse racing fans on X, formally known as Twitter, and Kelce first doubled down on his theory, explaining why he believed the horse was on steroids during competition. “I’ll admit I don’t know whether Secretariat was on steroids or not, it’s impossible to know, because in 1973 when Secretariat won the triple crown there was not adequate testing available to find out,” he wrote.
“But, the fact this horse had unparalleled muscular stature and died with an enlarged heart, and raced at a time when steroids were extremely prevalent, without adequate testing, raises flags in my book…I’m not saying what Secretariat did was unimpressive, because he was likely also racing against other majorly juiced up horses of his time, and if Secretariat was indeed a natural horse, that would make his accomplishments all the more impressive,” the post read.
“I just find it highly unlikely given the circumstances of where the sport was at that time, how dominant the horse was in the era, and the records it still holds to this day,” the post continued.
Jason Kelce.
LISA LAKE/GETTY IMAGES FOR PRIME VIDEO
Kelce closed out the post, adding “The horse was undoubtedly born with incredible natural mechanics and ability, and may have been natural, but I also think that it’s unlikely given the time it raced and what was happening with a lot of those horses and the lack of testing available.”
Kelce added that despite his belief that Secretariat was on steroids, he doesn’t discount the horse’s records, much like he still feels that Barry Bonds is the best slugger to ever play in the MLB.
“I agree, that’s why I said the horses accomplishments are still Valid,” he said, replying to a user on X. “We all know Bonds Juiced, he’s still the greatest hitter of all time in my opinion. He also did it against a large amount of players who were also juiced.”
But as the backlash continued, Kelce issued an apology.
“I’m sorry everyone, wasn’t trying to get people riled up, I really thought it was just known that in the 70s steroid use was rampant. I’m not trying to take away from Secretariat’s, or anyone from that era’s legacy. You’re right, without proof it is unfair to assume these things publicly, I apologize,” he wrote on X.
Secretariat’s times set at the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are still the fastest on record, 51 years later.
When Michael Jordan retired for the second time in January of 1999, he said he was “99.9 percent certain” that he would never in the NBA again. Less than two years later, on Sept. 25, 2001, that 0.1 percent chance won out. Jordan announced his return to the NBA, this time as a member of the Washington Wizards.
Jordan had joined the Wizards as president of basketball operations on Jan. 19, 2000. About six months before his return, he began a rigorous training routine in anticipation of a comeback.
At first, Jordan cooled expectations by saying he was simply trying to shed extra weight he’d gained in retirement. But when he began hosting invitation-only camps for NBA players and then hired his former Chicago Bulls coach, Doug Collins, to coach the Wizards, the stage was set.
After announcing his return and donating his entire 2001-02 salary to September 11 relief efforts, Jordan had fans lined up for tickets hoping for one more glimpse of the game’s greatest player.
At 38 and more than three years removed from the last of his six championships with the Chicago Bulls, no one knew quite what to expect from Jordan. The Wizards sold out every home game in his two seasons there, but the team failed to make the playoffs with Jordan as a player.
Fans weren’t left empty handed, though.
While Jordan’s 2001-02 season was cut short by a knee injury that limited him to 60 games, he still averaged 22.9 ppg, 5.2 apg and 5.7 rpg. He also found his way into the record books with a few more legendary performances.
On Dec. 29, 2001, just two days after the worst game of his career, Jordan exploded for 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets to become the oldest player in NBA history to reach the 50-point threshold in a game.
Michael Jordan’s record in the NBA Finals—six appearances, six titles—is well-known. His All-Star record, not so much. That’s because while Jordan is rightly known for winning, he completed his 13 All-Star appearances with a losing record. After the East dropped the final two games he appeared in as a member of the Washington Wizards, Jordan would finish his All-Star career with a record of six wins, seven losses. Thankfully, his All-Star history was about more than just Ws and Ls.
A three-time All-Star MVP and two-time Slam Dunk champion, Jordan always—well, almost always—made All-Star weekend memorable. He posted the first-ever All-Star triple-double in 1997, and posted the worst-ever 3-Point Shootout opening round score in 1990. Even his failures were superlative. In 1988, Jordan welcomed All-Star weekend to Chicago Stadium by defending his Slam Dunk title on Saturday, then scored 40 and earned his first MVP honors on Sunday. This was all at the same time as the debut of the black-and-white commercials for his newest Air Jordan, featuring a motor-mouthed pitchman named Mars Blackmon.
Jordan made his All-Star debut as a rookie in 1985, his final appearance came as a 39-year-old Washington Wizard, after six championships and two retirements. He scored just seven points that first game, 20 in his last. In between, he dominated entire generations, plural, of superstars. Here’s a comprehensive look at all of Jordan’s All-Star performances, ranked from worst to best.
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Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates after winning the 1987 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Competition at the Kingdome in Seattle, WA.
In a way, Jordan’s second return to the All-Star Game was similar to his first back in 1996. He missed three years instead of just two, but returned as a starter and played 22 minutes. That, however was where the similarities ended. In ’96 in San Antonio, Jordan was the MVP, looking a lot like the Jordan of old. In ’02 in Philadelphia, he mostly looked like an old Jordan. A week before his 39th birthday he was taking the court with players who had been too young to even watch him as a rookie—a full 10 All-Stars were making their first appearance in the game. And even with a supporting (and opposing) cast eager to see their hero, he just didn’t have it. MJ scored six points early on, with a dunk and two left-handed layups, yes, but then he missed a wide-open dunk in the open court—unheard of—and scored just two more points the rest of the way. He’d finish with eight points, his lowest All-Star point total since his rookie year. Meanwhile, the Magic’s Tracy McGrady threw an alley-oop to himself off the backboard, scoring 25 points off the bench, and one-time would-be rival Kobe Bryant won MVP honors in a homecoming of his own, with 31, 5, and 5. Fortunately for Jordan, he’d have one last chance.
Year: 1985 Location: Hooiser Dome, Indianapolis Stats: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 22 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan 1, black/red (Dunk Contest), white/black/red (All-Star Game) Performance Rank: 2 out of 5 Jumpmans
The oft-told story about the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan’s first, is that he was frozen out, a victim of a plot formulated by close friends Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson. The truth is probably a lot simpler—Jordan, then a 21-year-old rookie, was treated like one. The first rookie guard to earn a starting spot since Thomas himself in 1982, Jordan got more minutes (22 to 17) and shots (9 to 7) than Thomas did in his debut. He just missed more of them, going 2-9 from the floor. MJ did go to the line four times and throw down a, well, Jordanesque dunk on the baseline. He also took the final shot of the game, a long three as time expired, that missed. If Jordan was off his game, maybe it was due to his dunk contest efforts, where he placed second to Dominique Wilkins. But he did get to show off his new Air Jordan apparel line, as well as his black and red Air Jordans—by then already banned from in-game wear. Freezeout? Nah. Just veteran stars showing a rookie what being a rookie was all about. Still, that first game would serve as motivation for everything that would come after.
Year: 1987 Location: Kingdom, Seattle Stats: 11 points, 0 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 28 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan II, white/red/black (Dunk Contest), white/red/grey (All-Star Game) Performance Rank: 2 out of 5 Jumpmans
Jordan’s second All-Star game, which came in his third season thanks to a broken foot that sidelined him for most of his second, didn’t go all that much better than his first. There is a seven-minute “best plays” highlight reel from the game that includes not a one of Jordan’s five made shots—if you’re looking for dunks from a former UNC Tar Heel, you’ll get them instead from James Worthy, who went 10-14 from the floor and scored 22 points. Jordan shot just 5-12 in his 28 minutes, finishing with 11 points—second-lowest amongst East starters. He also managed 0 rebounds in an All-Star game for the only time in his career, perhaps because teammate Moses Malone, who finished with a game-high 18, got to all of them first. It was one of the greatest All-Star games ever played, and Jordan was at best a footnote. Jordan did get his revenge in the dunk contest, winning it for the first time, beating Jerome Kersey in the finals, although archrival Dominique Wilkins didn’t participate. That particular rematch would have to wait another year.
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Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) #23 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars walks onto the court at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game on February 9, 2003 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Year: 1990 Location: Miami Arena, Miami Stats: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 1 block, 29 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan V white/red (three-point shootout), black/silver (game) Performance Rank: 4 out of 5 Jumpmans
By 1990, Jordan could be forgiven for thinking he could do anything even though, well, he couldn’t. Instead of the dunk contest, Jordan entered the three-point shootout—this despite his having made just 58 threes over his first five seasons—where he flamed out of the first round with just five points. His teammate Craig Hodges would go on to win his first of three consecutive titles. Jordan fared far better in Sunday’s game, although his 17 points didn’t come close to matching his gaudy totals of ‘88 or ‘89. He recorded the final All-Star game block of his career—on Hakeem Olajuwon, no less—and dunked on then-rookie David Robinson. He only had two assists, but both led to easy dunks, one in transition to a streaking (not that kind of streaking) Dennis Rodman, the other a no-look to a wide-open Charles Barkley. His five steals were a game high. Jordan also made up for his Saturday night failure by hitting his one three-point attempt, part of a 40-point first quarter onslaught for the East that the West couldn’t come back from. Magic Johnson, who scored a game-high 22, won MVP honors.
Year: 2003
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta Stats: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 36 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan XVIII white/royal Performance Rank: 4 out of 5 Jumpmans
Jordan’s final All-Star Game was almost perfect. He played in a uniform nearly identical to the one he played his first game in back in 1985—just a little bit bigger, with a Wizards logo between his shoulder blades. In the meantime, Isiah Thomas had gone from teammate to commentator to Eastern Conference coach. And while Jordan didn’t provide any high-flying highlights at 39, he continued to teach by example to a bunch of young stars who were still in grade school when he made his All-Star debut. One of them, Shawn Marion, appearing in his first All-Star Game, played Jordan as well as anyone could as time ran down in overtime, but Jordan’s baseline fallaway skimmed over Marion’s fingertips and swished through, giving the East a two-point lead with 4.8 seconds left. Jordan extended a hand to Allen Iverson for a high five, and Iverson came in hot with an exuberant chest bump instead, giving Jordan a laugh. It would have been the game winner and quite the ending, except for an unfortunate foul by Jermaine O’Neal on Kobe Bryant on the other end with a second left, which sent it to a second overtime, and the West hung on to win, 155-145. Kevin Garnett, who scored 37 points, was named MVP. Jordan, who finished with 20 in 36 minutes, had to settle for the consolation prize—Mariah Carey, in a skintight Wizards jersey dress, serenading him at halftime. We’re guessing he would have preferred the win.
Year: 1992
Location: Orlando Arena, Orlando Stats: 18 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 steals, 31 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan VII bordeaux Performance Rank: 4 out of 5 Jumpmans
The 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando was Jordan’s first as an NBA champion, but that wasn’t the focus of the weekend. The ’92 game marked the single-game return of Lakers guard Magic Johnson, who had retired the previous summer after being diagnosed with HIV, but was still voted in as a starter. He did start, played 29 minutes and led all scorers with 25 points, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts including the one that closed out the West’s 153-113 victory. Johnson was named MVP of the game, and would eventually make his NBA comeback in 1996. As for Jordan, he led all East scorers with 18, including a dunk off an inbounds alley-oop from Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen, added five assists, and cut his turnovers from the previous year’s 10 to just one. In the meantime, his black shoes had caught on, as fellow All-Stars Chris Mullin and David Robinson picked up on the trend. That summer, after winning his second straight title, Jordan would team up with Mullin and Robinson (and Johnson) on the Dream Team, winning his second Olympic gold.
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Michael Jordan #23 of the Eastern Conference All Stars takes the ball to the basket against James Donaldson #40 of the Western Conference All Stars during the 1988 NBA All Star Game played at Chicago Stadium on February 7, 1988 in Chicago, Illinois.
Year: 1989
Location: Astrodome, Houston Stats: 28 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, 33 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan IV black/cement Performance Rank: 4.5 out of 5 Jumpmans
Before the 1989 All-Star Game, Jordan was asked about his knee, which had been giving him trouble. “I didn’t get in the slam dunk mainly because the doctors asked me not to,” he said. “They asked me not to play in the All-Star game but I wanted to play in the All-Star game.” He played, all right. Jordan logged a game-high 33 minutes, took a game-high 23 shots, and matched Karl Malone as the game’s high scorer with 28 points. He also tied Utah’s John Stockton with a game-high five steals, with only four turnovers to Stockton’s 12. On the court, his knee didn’t seem to give him much trouble—he caught several dunks from Isiah Thomas, including an alley-oop off the backboard and a wicked full-court bounce pass, and only took one three, which he missed. Malone wound up winning MVP, only because his West squad won the game. As for Jordan’s knee, well, it seemed fine. Four days after the All-Star Game, he scored 50 points in 40 minutes against the Bucks.
Year: 1991
Location: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte Stats: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 10 turnovers, 36 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan VI black/infrared Performance Rank: 4.5 out of 5 Jumpmans
Jordan’s true All-Star homecoming was in Charlotte, three years after he won MVP as the host in Chicago. And he treated his true hometown much like his adopted one, scoring a game-high 26 points en route to a 116-114 East win. His scoring came via what had by then become a Jordan signature All-Star style—either slashing drives down the middle or pull-ups from the elbow. It may not be an NBA staple anymore, but in the early ’90s a midrange game was key, and Jordan’s was lethal. He tacked on five rebounds and five assists, along with two steals (and, um, 10 turnovers). Teammate Charles Barkley took home MVP honors with 17 points and an absurd 22 rebounds in just 35 minutes, as Jordan needed 25 shots to score those 26 points. He wore the black/infrared Air Jordan VI in the game—a few short months later he’d be wearing them again as he led his Chicago Bulls to their first NBA Championship.
Year: 1988
Location: Chicago Stadium, Chicago Stats: 40 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks, 5 fouls, 29 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan III, white/cement (Dunk Contest), black/cement (All-Star Game) Performance Rank: 5 out of 5 Jumpmans
The 1988 NBA All-Star Game brought all of the greats to Jordan’s Chicago Stadium, where he went out and methodically destroyed them all. After vanquishing Dominique Wilkins in the Dunk Contest, he went out and scored 40 points in Sunday’s game, rounding things out with eight boards, three assists, four blocks, and four steals in just 29 minutes. He capped off his first All-Star Game win with an alley-oop from fellow Chicagoan Isiah Thomas, and won MVP honors in front of a packed house including his mom and dad. That weekend also marked the debut of his new commercial co-starring Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon, a raucous black-and-white spot highlighting the new Air Jordans he would debut that same weekend—the white in the dunk contest, the black in the game (the black ASG shoes would become a tradition through his first retirement in 1993). The then-25-year-old Jordan would go on to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but it’s hard to imagine any success was as sweet as this.
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Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls takes off his jacket during the NBA All-Star Game at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.The East defeated the West 132-120 .
Year: 1993
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City Stats: 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 5 fouls, 36 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan VIII aqua Performance Rank: 5 out of 5 Jumpmans
The 1993 All-Star Game wouldn’t just be Jordan’s last All-Star Game until 1996, it would be Isiah Thomas’s last All-Star Game ever, which of course meant it was the final time Jordan and Thomas would play together. Which was a damn shame, because although they were the fiercest of rivals when pitted against one another, they had amazing chemistry as teammates. Thomas always seemed to find Jordan under the basket, orchestrating backdoor cuts and lobbing perfect alley-oops. Jordan’s 30 points were his second-highest All-Star scoring total, his most since ’88, and—in an uncanny preview of Finals to come—he roasted Suns guard Dan Majerle down the stretch and had a clutch blindside strip of Karl Malone in the paint. But the West held on for the 135-132 win, and Jazz teammates Malone (28 points, 10 rebounds) and John Stockton (9 points, 15 assists) were named co-MVPs in front of their home crowd. Jordan didn’t win regular-season MVP that year either, as it went to Charles Barkley. But Jordan would—as he often did—get the last laugh, winning his third straight NBA Championship along with his third straight Finals MVP.
Year: 1996
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio Stats: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 22 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan XI Columbia Performance Rank: 5 out of 5 Jumpmans
A lot had happened since Jordan last played in an All-Star game. His teammate, Scottie Pippen, had been named All-Star MVP in 1994, while Pistons forward Grant Hill (who’d wind up the leading vote-getter) and Magic center Shaquille O’Neal had emerged as the East’s biggest (in Shaq’s case in the literal as well as figurative sense) stars. Jordan had also turned 30 the week prior. But from the start, Jordan was right back at home. During player introductions, he snagged Penny Hardaway’s tearaways, unsnapping them as the second-time All-Star was introduced. “He got you!” a grinning Pippen exclaimed as Hardaway reached the end of the line, still trying in vain to re-snap them. Jordan was introduced last, still laughing. Then he took to the floor in his gleaming white Air Jordan XIs—the first time he’d worn a primarily white shoe in an All-Star Game since his first in 1985—and took over. He didn’t lead the team in scoring, Shaq did that. But he did drop 20 (on 8-11 from the floor), threw down a Jumpman-esque dunk on the break, and looked like he enjoyed every minute of the 22 he played, the fewest of any Eastern starter. It was still enough to win MVP—one he’d follow with the regular season and Finals variety for the first time. But not the last.
Year: 1997
Location: Gund Arena, Cleveland Stats: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 26 minutes Sneakers: Air Jordan XII black/white Performance Rank: 5 out of 5 Jumpmans
The 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland marked the 50th anniversary of the NBA as well as recognition of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Anywhere you went in Cleveland that weekend there were legends from every era. Six of them—Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Joe Dumars, and Hakeem Olajuwon—took the court for the All-Star Game on Sunday. (Four others, Shaquille O’Neal, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley were selected but injured.) Then Jordan went out in his white Bulls uniform and black XIIs and did something none of these legends ever had, recording the first triple-double (14 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) in All-Star history. He had a couple of dunks, one off a pass from former Dream Teammate (and future Wizards teammate) Christian Laettner, another when Mitch Richmond failed to put a body on him out and he caught a putback on a missed Grant Hill free throw. Jordan didn’t win MVP though—that went to East reserve Glen Rice, who came off the bench to score a game-high 26 points including four threes. Which was fine—Jordan had a bigger repeat in mind.
Year: 1998
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York Stats: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 32 minutes Accolades: MVP Sneakers: Air Jordan XIII black/white Performance Rank: 5 out of 5 Jumpmans
Madison Square Garden had borne silent witnesses to plenty of dominant Jordan performances before. And while this was viewed by some as a passing of the torch—starting opposite Jordan at the 2 was 19-year-old Laker Kobe Bryant, in his first All-Star appearance—the soon-to-be 35-year-old Jordan wasn’t quite done yet. He established his dominance right from the start, scoring the game’s first basket on a fadeaway over the outstretched fingertips of Kevin Garnett. Jordan led all scorers with 23 points, schooling young Bryant a few times in the post with impeccable footwork. And while Bryant scored 18 of his own, throwing down a couple of spectacular dunks in the process, Jordan’s East squad took the W, and Jordan won his fifth and final All-Star MVP, his second in three years. He didn’t match his triple-double of the previous year, but his final line of 23 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals in 32 minutes was a fitting one to end his Bulls All-Star appearances on. Bryant? His time would come. Just not yet. At the end of the year, Jordan would retire once again at the top of his craft—another three-peat completed, another MVP trifecta earned.
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Jason Kelce.
