Michael Jordan's Yellow Eyes Have Some Fans Concerned About His Health

Fans became newly concerned about NBA legend Michael Jordan’s health in 2020 after the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance was released. In the documentary, Michael is interviewed frequently, as are a number of other people who were associated with the team at the time. In Michael’s interviews, though, some fans noticed that his eyes look a little yellow.

Fast forward to 2024, and a new photo of Michael Jordan has not done anything to allay fans' worries. His eyes look potentially even yellower, causing fans to express their concern. Unfortunately, this is nothing new for fans of the former basketball player.

The speculation around Michael‘s eyes stretches back more than a decade. In the 2000s, photos emerged of the basketball phenom where his eyes looked yellowed, and rumors began to circulate that Michael had some sort of liver disease. To date, Michael has never announced that he has any sort of health problem, and there have never been any news stories about him receiving treatment of any kind.

The mystery of Michael‘s eyes remains largely unsolved, but that hasn’t stopped rampant speculation online. Yellow eyes are typically associated with a condition called a jaundice infection, which occurs when oxygen-carrying components in a person’s blood break down into a substance called bilirubin. That yellow compound eventually makes the eyes and sometimes other parts of the body look yellow.

Ordinarily, bilirubin passes through the gallbladder and the liver before being excreted from the body. If, for some reason, the liver isn’t functioning properly, though, it can lead to a jaundice infection. Because Michael has never suggested that he had any issues with his liver, some fans have come up with other theories as to why his eyes may be yellow.

Some fans have speculated that Michael’s yellow eyes may be in some way connected to his reported history of issues with gambling and addiction. Although Michael may have abused drugs or alcohol, there has been little evidence connecting that history to his eye color. It could be that frequent use of alcohol harmed his liver, but at the moment, that’s simply speculation. 

It’s also possible that the issue with Michael’s eyes is something totally out of his control. It could be some sort of genetic condition or another disease that Michael has chosen to keep private. He has never publicly explained what it is, so it’s safe to say that the question of Michael’s eyes is a consistent worry for fans.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Bleacher Report posted a photo of Michael on X (formerly Twitter). He was in attendance at the Monaco vs. Barcelona soccer game, and many fans were quick to comment that the former NBA star was not looking great.

"Man got all the girls, money, fame, and accomplishments anyone could ask for yet is still on the path to an early death," one X user wrote.

"I hope he's OK," another wrote.