Another day and Michael Jordan still remains a property owner in Chicago. It isn’t as great as it seems, though. Jordan hasn’t lived in the mega-mansion in Highland Park since he last played for the Bulls and separated from Juanita Vanoy. He now lives in another luxurious abode in Jupiter, Florida, while his former home languishes. He’s got very little attachment to his residence in the city he literally left a mark on. The original Jumpman base has been on the market for 12 years. While Shaquille O’Neal has managed to sell his Superman fortress in Florida as well as mansions in Los Angeles and Dallas, MJ hasn’t managed to shake off this property.

His Airness’ Jordan Mansion dilemma is now a TikTok trend. False images with the recognizable #23 gate went viral, alleging damaged walls and flooding are why the house hasn’t been sold. Marcus Jordan himself said the video is false in one Instagram comment. Realtors paint a much more grim picture of this unsellable celebrity pad. So let’s find out why this property still remains on the market.

#1 The Michael Jordan Museum
Michael Jordan had won three consecutive titles with the Chicago Bulls and was playing baseball from 1993 to 1995. During that time, he was building a 26,000 sq. ft. home on a 56,000 sq. ft property in a Chicago suburb. He reportedly spent $50 million to make the home scream Jordan. Complementing the nine bedrooms, 15 baths, a regulation basketball court, pool, putting green, a cig-r room are the massive #23 gates.

The interiors have Jordan and the Bulls motifs, which professional realtors cite as a major putoff to buyers. From the moment you go through those gates, you’re in Jordanland. It’s personalized to the original owner and even the most diehard Jordan maniac wouldn’t want to live in someone else’s home.

A related factor is that doing a Jordan detox on the property would be a huge financial strain. Which is another downer for any licensed real estate agent tasked with this house.

#2 Jordan offers a generous discount
Shortly after marrying Yvette Prieto, Jordan listed the Chicago home for sale in 2012 for an asking price of $29 million, about $20 million less than what he spent building it. That humble price was not attractive and within the first two years, the price came down to $21 million.

As the house remained on the market, Jordan switched up real estate companies and slashed the prices. As of 2024, the house is still on sale for $15 million. Or precisely, $14,855,000 (the digits add up to 23, again another Jordan nod stuck to the house).

Jordan even tried to auction the house at a starting price of $13 million in 2013. He can sell sneakers at a premium price tag but even lowballing doesn’t entice the wealthiest to the Air Jordan Museum.

#3 The money-drain factor
Jordan is a resident of Florida, but he’s a registered property owner in Chicago for as long as this mansion is unsold. According to several reports, this house costs $135,969 every year in taxes. It gets complicated given where it is.

The Highland Park neighborhood, about 30 minutes from the United Center, is nothing like Beverly Hills or Miami. There’s neither many, if any celebrity neighbor nor another famous Bulls player in the area. The homes in the mansion’s vicinity were valued between $1 million and $5 million in 2014. It’s also near a busy railroad area.

It’s as suburban as it can get in the Midwest, save for a massive abandoned celebrity home with huge #23 gates. The mansion’s value and expenses are simply overpriced for that area.

#4 Safety issues escalate

Not uncommon for celebrity homes to be hounded by fans. The Jumpman Palace still draws some diehards even though it’s empty. It has created some security concerns recently. It’s frankly just not serious because there’s no one around.

In 2023, an 18-year-old was arrested and his minor accomplice was detained for breaking into Jordan’s home. Social media also has vague mentions of fans sneaking in to take pictures if not halting in front of the gates like it’s a tour of the stars.

Jordan earlier tried to entice buyers with a promotional video giving a virtual house tour. But locals on social media claimed it drew more fans to the place. Even the TikTok trend keeps it relevant but lures more people looking for online clout than actual buyers. It doesn’t look like a change in ownership would put an end to unwanted visitors trying to get a piece of Chicago’s sports history. That’s going to keep one of Michael Jordan’s many records unbroken – for the unsellable home.