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CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview of Jim Memolo, Chicago Talk Show Host

Aired January 08, 2002 - 06:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, you remember I was telling you about Michael Jordan and his wife filing divorce papers? Well, we have more information right now. We want to go to Jim Memolo, who is on the phone right now.

Jim, you know all about Michael Jordan, right?

JIM MEMOLO, SYNDICATED TALK SHOW HOST: -- Chicago doing talk radio and I -- you know, I -- people are going to be a little bit surprised. Obviously, he's an icon throughout America, but also especially here in -- in Chicago. But I don't think they're going to be overly shocked.

This is -- he's a man who twice retired, cited a need to spend more time with his family, and then all you saw him doing was, you know, doing golf tournaments, traveling around the country, going to casinos, and ultimately taking a job 800 miles away from his home in suburban Chicago.

I mean, from the outside looking in -- I mean, he's an icon, but, you know, if you take the average man living that kind of lifestyle, I don't think you'd be overly surprised that his marriage was going to suffer.

COSTELLO: Okay, Jim, just to reintroduce you, you're a talk show host in Chicago and you know Michael Jordan's history very well. You know, when he moved to Washington, Washingtonians -- well, he never really moved to Washington, you might say. Because Washingtonians were complaining that he was never there when he was with the Wizards in a management position. And Juanita was probably upset that he wasn't in Chicago as much. So you're right, this doesn't come as much of a surprise.

MEMOLO: I mean, it's sad. There's no doubt it's sad. It's sad for Michael, it's sad for Juanita, it's sad for the kids. Although, I don't know that their lifestyle will change all that much. I just don't see where Michael was in Chicago all that much given his responsibilities as a player, and now with the Washington Wizards. And even when he was an executive for the Wizards last year. It's a -- you know, it's a strain. It's a lifestyle that strains a marriage to begin with.

You know, he was -- Michael Jordan was very good about keeping up a facade for the marriage and -- but there was one example several years ago where Juanita filled in for Michael at a -- at a banquet in downtown Chicago and was asked where Michael was that night. And she said, "Well, he's with the kids." Well, Michael was seen at a movie in suburban Chicago that same evening. So they -- it didn't seem like they were ever on the same page.

COSTELLO: Well, Jim, let me ask you this: why now then?

MEMOLO: You know I -- you know what, who can answer that beyond the couple involved? Really, when it comes -- I thought about that this morning when I heard about it. Who can answer except the two people involved in any marriage? But from the outside looking in you could see that that kind of lifestyle is going to be a strain on any relationship. And it's sad to see, but like I said, I don't think when people really look at it -- especially in Chicago -- that they're overly surprised.

COSTELLO: Yeah, maybe it just comes down to this: he just loves the game more than he loves family life, even though he says that he retired twice to spend more time with his family.

MEMOLO: I mean, you can sum it up. Money and fame doesn't necessarily buy happiness, and it's unfortunate. I know I wish both of them the best. You know, and you always think about the kids. But, like I said, this was a man who was on the move, on the road a lot anyway.

COSTELLO: Yeah.

MEMOLO: And hopefully the relationship between all of the family members -- I also wonder this: I wonder what Michael's life would have been like had his father not met a tragic demise several years ago. Because his father was an important influence in his life.

COSTELLO: Yeah. Sad story.

MEMOLO: And that happened back in '94.

COSTELLO: Yeah, we remember that. Sad story all the way around. We're out of time right now. Jim Memolo, from Chicago, talking to us about Michael Jordan. Thank you.

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