What’s Wrong with Michael Jordan’s Eyes in ‘The Last Dance’?

Michael Jordan’s eyes during his interview segments in ‘The Last Dance’ have fans worried.

‘The Last Dance,’ ESPN’s 10-part documentary series about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan’s career, includes lengthy interviews with MJ where he is surprisingly candid.

During some of Jordan’s close-up shots, his eyes look discolored. This has prompted some fans to wonder about his health.

Nothing suggests that Jordan has any health issues. All indications are that the six-time NBA champion is healthy and very busy as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and taking care of his Jordan Brand empire.

While many fans are concerned about Jordan’s health, the brownish, yellowish coloring in the eyes can be a benign condition, as explained in the following statement from the American Academy of Ophthalmology website:

“The most common cause of the whites of the eyes taking on a brownish and sometimes blotchy color in African-Americans is melanin pigment in the surface tissue of the eye, known as the sclera and conjunctiva. This is benign and there is no treatment safe enough to use for such a benign condition.”

Dr. Val Phua, an ophthalmologist at Eagle Eye Centre Singapore, has a different opinion. Dr. Phua told VICE.com:

“Yellow eyes should not be ignored because they are a sign of something more going on. There is literally more than meets the eye.” He added that: “leaving eye conditions untreated includes compromise in vision and even blindness.”

Dr. Phua also noted that it’s difficult to make diagnosis based solely on Jordan’s appearance in ‘The Last Dance.’

Dr. Andrew Thornber, Chief Medical Officer at Now Patient, told Express.co.uk that the white portion of the eyes is called the sclera and that yellowing of the sclera might mean that there’s an underlying health condition.

Until MJ talks about it himself, speculation about his eyes will continue and all we can do is hope that this is nothing serious.