The NBA great Michael Jordan has asked a Georgia court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by Pamela Y. Smith who says he is the father of her 16-year-old son, according to media reports.
Jordan's lawyer John Mayoue said in the document filed Monday in Fulton County Superior Court he is the father of Smith's son.
Jordan's legal team said the paternity of the teen has already been "conclusively established" in divorce filing between Smith and her ex-husband. The Hall of Fame basketball response to Smith's Feb. 6 lawsuit said her suit is a "shameless, bad faith attempt to abuse the legal system."
Smith's lawsuit requests Jordan take a paternity test and pay child support. She also requested the boy's last name be changed to Jordan, and for a judge to order the Georgia Department of Vital Records to issue him a new birth certificate. The lawsuit requests that any hearing or trial be conducted in closed court to protect the teen's privacy.
However, Smith's publicist acknowledged that the teen posted a video to YouTube on Dec. 25, saying Jordan is his father and that he wants him to play a larger role in his life.
"Pamela had no choice but to support her son and his desire to forge a relationship with his father," Smith's publicist, April Love, said in a statement Friday. "That's why she is now speaking out and prompting Michael to do the right thing."
Love said Smith, 48, and Jordan met in Chicago in the late 1980s. According to court documents, Smith does not have an attorney and a court date is scheduled for March 12.
Jordan remains one of the most recognized sports figures in the world nearly 10 years after his retirement from the NBA. A 14-time NBA all-star, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls,
Jordan is also a two-time Gold Medal winner in the Olympics. Jordan also recently made headlines on a basketball-related matter, telling Ahmad Rashad that Kobe Bryant, at this stage of his career is more impressive than Lebron James, mainly since the L.A. Laker has 5 championships compared to James' one title last season with the Miami Heat. Jordan recently celebrated his 50th birthday on Feb. 17.
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