When Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan’s relationship was made public, many people found it surprising. After all, Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa is the ex-wife of basketball player Scottie Pippen, and Marcus is the son of Scottie’s longtime teammate Michael Jordan. But it’s not just this connection that’s gotten social media talking—it’s also their age gap. At 48, Larsa is 16 years older than 32-year-old Marcus.
In a new interview with E! News, the couple explained why their age difference isn’t a big deal for them, despite what critics may say. According to Larsa, their relationship feels “very natural.”
Read on to see what else they had to say about their age difference, their shared history, and more.
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Speculation that Larsa and Marcus were dating kicked off in September 2022 when they were spotted on what appeared to be a lunch date. But, Larsa initially claimed that they were platonic.
“We’re friends,” Larsa told People in October. “We’ve been friends for a few years and that’s really what it is. We’re friends.”
After a few months, though, Larsa and Marcus confirmed that they were in a romantic relationship on social media.
Larsa spoke to People about realizing that she was falling for Marcus. “I think it was one night we went out and there was a girl that was there. She was trying to talk to him, and I was getting jealous over it,” she told the magazine in February. “And it was weird because I’m not really the jealous person, but I was jealous over the situation. And so then, I was thinking maybe I do really like him. That kind of sealed the deal.”
“I think early on, we were a little more cautious and just trying to tip toe, because we didn’t know what the reception would be,” Marcus explained to E! News. “Honestly, it was happening so fast, and maybe even faster than we thought. We were just friends early on, and it kind of snowballed into this committed relationship.”
During their recent interview with E! News, Marcus said that the difference in their ages isn’t an issue, because he is an “old soul traditionally,” while Larsa is a “young soul.”
“I just feel like we meet somewhere in the middle,” Marcus explained. “Age is just a number, but I think maturity and life experience really dictate the relationship.”
Larsa added that they have many shared interests, which also brings them together. “Everything we do, we have in common,” she said. “We like the same things, we like to go to the same places. I feel like for us, it’s very natural to be with each other. I don’t really see the age part of it.”
“I let people that are misinformed be misinformed,” Marcus said of the backlash they’ve received. “I feel like people see our last names and immediately want to have some sort of reaction or opinion. But I feel like as people get to know us and understand our situations more, they’re way more happy for us and just want to see us to live in our truths and be happy.” Larsa added, “I think people just want to see you happy, and there’s a few people who are just miserable in their lives and they just want to have some negative input on things.”
The two also said that they will be talking more about their age gap and giving other couples advice on an upcoming episode of their new podcast, Separation Anxiety.
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During a February appearance on her talk show, Tamron Hall asked Larsa what she and Marcus have in common besides their connections to the Chicago Bulls.
“We have everything in common. I’ve dated guys that were a lot older than me—Scottie is 10 years older than me—so I don’t really view age as you’re mature or you’re immature. I don’t feel like that determines if you’re mature or not.”
For some, it’s Larsa and Marcus’ connections to two former NBA teammates that makes their romance unlikely. Larsa was married to Scottie for 24 years, which included part of the era in which he was playing with Michael on the Chicago Bulls. Michael and Scottie were the stars of the team and won six championships together. But, more recently, Scottie has spoken out on some of the issues he has with Michael, including after the release of the acclaimed 2020 docuseries The Last Dance, about the Bulls’ heyday in the ’90s.
“I feel like people see our last names and immediately want to have some sort of reaction or opinion,” Trophy Room owner Marcus told E! News. “But I feel like as people get to know us and understand our situations more, they’re way more happy for us and just want to see us to live in our truths and be happy.”
Larsa was asked on Tamron Hall why she would date Michael’s son when she could date anyone. “It wasn’t like it was planned like that,” the reality star said. “I think it was just that we were together a lot with our friends and it just so happened.” She shared that they had met through mutual friends at a party four years earlier.
During the most recent Real Housewives of Miami reunion, which aired in March, Larsa was asked if she would change her last name if she and Marcus ever got married—meaning she’d have shared a last name with both legendary basketball players. “I would definitely change my last name for whomever I married, that’s for sure,” she said (via People).
The mother of four wouldn’t answer a question about whether she and her boyfriend ever hung out with Michael together. “I feel like I’m comfortable talking about Marcus and I,” Larsa explained.
She then tried to clear up a misconception about their relationship. “I feel like a lot of people don’t understand, like, I didn’t know him,” she said of Marcus during the time she was with Scottie. “I just met him a few years ago. I never met him before. I was with Scottie the very last year that he played with Michael. Michael and his wife were going through a divorce, so I never met his wife, never met his kids. It wasn’t like we had families that were intertwined. I never knew them.”