For six years, Michael Jordan’s first grandchild remained a mystery. That was until Jasmine Jordan’s latest Instagram post shattered that secrecy with a rare, full-face snapshot and a birthday ode that even the GOAT couldn’t resist. Behind the filters lay a piece of Jordan lore few ever see: a mother’s promise to shield her son from fame, and a legend learning to embrace “Grandpa Mike” one FaceTime at a time.

Now, if you haven’t been following MJ’s off-court life, here’s a quick catch-up: Jasmine was previously married to former basketball player Rakeem Christmas. Although the pair has reportedly been separated for some time now, they did share a major milestone—the birth of their son back in 2019. And while the couple’s relationship didn’t stand the test of time, Jasmine seems to have fully embraced motherhood’s joys and responsibilities. A recent social media post makes that very clear.

Celebrating her son’s big day, Jasmine wrote a touching message on Instagram for Rakeem Michael Christmas’ 6th birthday. “Happy Birthday to the love of my life. My purpose in everything. WOW! 6yrs of perfection and a lifetime to go. Thank you for allowing me to be your mother. I love you son,” she wrote, alongside a throwback photo of her cradling him as a baby. This is her first public photo revealing his face.

The emotions behind her words hit even harder when you know that her son went through surgery in late 2024, around Thanksgiving. Thankfully, he bounced back strong and even hit a big milestone—starting kindergarten. Jasmine proudly shared, “This guy right here… Kindergarten.. we in here!! I’m so proud of you, son. You amaze me every single day… Aim high, my baby.”

Could Rakeem follow in his grandfather’s Air Jordan footsteps? Only time will tell. For now, little Rakeem just gets to enjoy being a kid, with a pretty legendary grandpa by his side. But becoming ‘Grandpa Mike’ wasn’t seamless at first.

Michael Jordan was quite hesitant in accepting the title of a grandpa

Jasmine welcomed Rakeem in May 2019. And just like that, the 6x NBA champ stepped into a brand-new role: grandfather. And while he’s taken to it beautifully, Jasmine admits it wasn’t exactly a smooth start.

“He had to warm up to it,” she revealed during an interview with ESSENCE in 2021. “At first, he wanted my son to call him ‘Mike’ or ‘Michael,’ and I’m like, ‘Dad, we’re not doing this. You have to accept the grandpa title. It is what it is.’”

But titles aside, MJ has fully embraced being Grandpa. During the pandemic, when most were distancing, he reportedly stayed virtually close to his grandson with constant FaceTime and Zoom calls.

“He is such a softie when it comes to my son,” said Jasmine in an interview. “And he definitely has him wrapped around his finger already. So, he is just the most incredible grandfather you can imagine. He’ll definitely bring that competitive side out once my son starts playing sports, but until then, he’s soft.”

Well, fans would most likely be impatient for the time when Michael Jordan’s own blood learns from him what a burning desire for competitiveness can bring to a human being. For now, let’s just leave him at being a 6-year-old, celebrating his special day.