For so many years, MJ has ridden the wave and mystique of his Jordan brand. The commercials, shoes, highlights, accolades and the image of Michael Jordan the basketball player. He has purposefully crafted the narrative so that it centers around his career and not his personal life.
When questions came up in the past about his gambling addiction, his marital problems and other things, they were usually overshadowed by his accomplishments on the court. The excellence he exhibited in his craft was so overwhelming that nothing else mattered. Until now.
Jordan is 57 years old and I think one of the character flaws he realizes that he has is his lack of substance. Or better yet, his unwillingness to allow people to peel the layers back and see who he is as a person. This was the difference between him and Kobe Bryant.