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MJ'S SON – JEFF JORDAN: scores on a drive to the basket, drawing a foul in the process. However, he fails to convert what would have been his first three-point play for the Illinois Fighting Illini. JJ played well (Aug. 31, 2007) in the exhibition against Canadian national champs Carleton University. The walk-on scored six points, grabbed one steal and played significant minutes during overtime for the Illini. In the end, the Big Ten team pulled off the victory over the Ravens 74-72 in overtime. Father Michael Jordan was a no-show for his son's debut after determining that there are no private boxes in the bandbox gym that seats only 1,500.
"LIKE FATHER LIKE SON“
Unlike Mike
The son of the greatest basketball player in history averages just 0.9 points. But you would never guess that by listening to him describe his freshman season at Illinois.
"I'm having so much fun," Jeff Jordan told me last week. "I'm glad I decided to give this a try."
A try?
Yes, it's true. With no athletic scholarship offer, Michael Jordan's oldest boy had to join the Illini as a walk-on. He's averaging a measly 4.2 minutes per game and has made just three shots all season. Statistically, he sounds like a rare heir to Rare Air.
The refreshing thing is that, at Illinois, no one seems to care.
Nearly three months into his college career, Jeff isn't being deified by Illini fans. He said his classmates don't sweat him because of his dad or tease him because he can't do a 360-dunk.
Instead they're treating him like any other college student, which is all Jeff ever hoped for in the first place.
"I actually dealt with it more in high school than I do now," Jeff said of the attention he often receives because of his father. "On campus everyone has been great. Sometimes we'll go out to eat when we're out of town and people will (approach) me. But my teammates look out for me in those situations."
He pauses.
"Even then, it really doesn't affect me much," Jeff said. "I've been dealing with it my whole life."
It's not as if Jeff hasn't received any fanfare during the last few months. When Illinois opened the season with an exhibition tour of Canada, Jeff had to conduct a separate press conference each day to accommodate the throng of media that was tracking his every move. One evening, when players went eat dinner, strangers began yelling Jeff's name and taking his picture as he stepped off the team bus.
Of course, at that point, he was just glad to be on the Illini roster.
Wasn't long ago when Jeff figured his basketball career would end after his final high school game. He averaged 15 points as a senior at Loyola Academy in Highland Park, Illinois, but without any big-time scholarship offers, he seemed content to give up the sport and enroll at Illinois on an academic scholarship.
"I was just going to be a regular student," he said. "But then I met the guys on the team and got along with all of them so well. I figured I'd come in with no expectations and see how I did the first year. If it didn't work out, it didn't work out." Even though he hasn't played much of a factor for the Illini, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jeff said he couldn't be more pleased with his progress the first year.
A wing player in high school, Jeff has moved to point guard at the request of head coach Bruce Weber, who praised the freshman for adapting to a new position.
"Even if you were a point guard in high school, the intensity level here is so much higher," Weber said. "Some freshmen get in there and play scared. But he doesn't do that. He's very aggressive."
Weber said Jeff's biggest weakness is his three-point shooting, but he praised his midrange game and his ability to slash into the paint.
Still, according to Weber, Jeff's most impressive characteristic is the way he conducts himself off the court.
"He's as humble as any kid we have in our program," Weber said. "He's proud to be Michael's son, but at the same time he enjoys being Jeffery Jordan."
As for dear old dad, Michael Jordan was on hand to watch Illinois play Duke in the Maui Invitational in November, but he's yet to attend a game in Champaign because of his duties as the part-owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
Still, that doesn't mean Jeff isn't asking his old man for advice.
"He's pretty hands-off," Jeff said. "He only gives me information when I come to him and ask for it. I still take advantage of it. I'm not doing it as much as I did at the beginning of the year, but if I have any questions or I want him to watch me on TV and critique me, I call him so he can give me some feedback."
The information seems to be coming in handy. Weber said he wouldn't be at all surprised if Jeff became a significant contributor for the Illini by the time he's a junior.
If that happens, the spotlight that seems so dim may suddenly become bright.