Michael Jordan's first wife Juanita Jordan's absence from The Last Dance explained

Michael Jordan's The Last Dance features the Chicago Bulls legend's journey in the world of basketball since making his NBA debut in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls. The 10-part docu-series featured interviews from teammates, coaches, family members and popular Chicago personalities but failed to feature Michael Jordan's first wife, Juanita Jordan. Juanita Jordan (formerly known as Juanita Vanoy) married the Chicago Bulls great in September 1989 and stayed with him till 2006 when they got divorced. After all 10 episodes were released this past weekend, the lack of a Juanita Jordan The Last Dance appearance drew attention from fans. Here's why a Juanita Jordan The Last Dance appearance did not materialise.

Also Read | George Karl admits he 'stiffed' Michael Jordan ahead of 1996 NBA Finals

Michael Jordan first wife Juanita Jordan

Also Read | Kendrick Perkins overlooks Michael Jordan in top five all-around NBA players shortlist

Michael Jordan's first wife Juanita Jordan not in The Last Dance

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Jason Hehir spoke about why he did not include Juanita Jordan in the making of the highly-popular series. “I wasn’t interested in the opinion of any wife or kids in this. We had the storytellers we wanted and I felt like we had the story covered from every angle.” Jason Hehir went on to add that he was not really interested in capturing Jordan's family life which is why he opted against including his then-wife and three children in the documentary as well. Michael Jordan first wife Juanita makes a brief appearance in the documentary through photos and old press conferences but was not directly interviewed for the film. In fact, even Jordan's current partner Yvette Prieto is not featured in the entire 10-part docu-series. 

Also Read | Michael Jordan Juanita divorce settlement of $168 million the most expensive in sport

Michael Jordan first wife, Michael Jordan Juanita divorce

Michael Jordan reportedly met Juanita at a Bennigans restaurant after a Bulls game. They were married for nearly 17 years between 1989-2006 before a mutual separation. The couple announced their divorce via a joint statement noting the split was done 'mutually and amicably.' As per Chicago Business, Michael Jordan first wife received $168 million as part of one of the largest divorce settlements on record. Juanita was quoted as saying “I’m in a good place. I wanted to simplify my life. I got off boards, I downsized the way I lived. I had to because I wasn’t going to be in a huge house. I really looked forward to the basic things: my children and my good friends.” Since their split, Juanita has mostly remained out of the public eye in recent years.

Also Read | Who is Michael Jordan first wife? More on NBA star's marriage with Juanita Jordan

Michael Jordan The Last Dance

Also Read | Who is Michael Jordan first wife Juanita Jordan? Michael Jordan Juanita divorce?