I know some pretty amazing women who have great marriages, despite what the media tends to report! As I sit down to talk with Jenine Howard, she juggles managing the house, and caring for her son Jet, who was home from school. She had to remind him that he was supposed to be sick and not playing video games. A vision many of us Moms, wives and women of the house are very familiar with. Once Jenine got him situated and things were able to settle down we began to catch up personally and then we got into the interview.
So how did Jenine and Juwan meet? How do they make a blended family work and their marriage thrive in a league where the divorce rate is an astonishing 80 percent? And what is one of the biggest mistakes she has made and advises no one to ever do? All while keeping things in a balanced perspective, the role Jenine plays in the success of her family is a huge one! One that she has done with style, grace, dignity and continues to be blessed while being a blessing to others. Let’s talk with Mrs. Howard as I am sure you will be fascinated at how this superwoman Removes Her Cape and reveals how super she is!
RYC: How did you guys meet?
Jenine: We met at a charity event in Miami in 1997, and he was a celebrity guest and I had to drop of his tickets for the weekend, he asked me my name and then he stalked me for the rest of the weekend. ( We both laugh)
RYC: So he magically appeared wherever you went?
Jenine: Yes, I was like this guy is really liking me. He said he really wanted to get my attention so…
RYC: Now I know Adrian and I have our own version of how we met and there are always two versions to a story His and the truth (hers) (We laugh). So does Juwan have his version?
Jenine: He does. It starts off the same way…but then he says I positioned myself to dance with him at one of the after parties and that is the furthest thing from the truth because he came into my section but let him tell it. (laughs)
RYC: I like how the “How We Met” stories seem to always start off the same but then they take this dramatic turn.
Jenine: Mhhhm, interesting!
RYC: And here they are now, after 9 years of marriage and coming up on their 10th anniversary this July they are going to renew their vows! After they will vacation alone just the two of them. And let me say, Jenine knows how to pick a fabulous place to vacation. I can definitely vouch this woman knows her beaches and the hot spots before everyone jumps on the band wagon! It is because of her that my husband and I went to Turks and Caicos where she and Juwan were married and at a time when it wasn’t as popular. To this day it has been one of our best vacations ever!
RYC: What’s the best vacation you have ever been on?
Jenine: Seychelles and the Maldives and they are both in the Indian Ocean and off the coast of East Africa, the waters are amazing! He leaves it up to me to pick the location because the more exotic and remote the place, the more I am attracted to it! I get so excited about exploring different regions outside of the Caribbean since that’s where I am from.
RYC: What would you say is the best surprise you have ever done for one another?
Jenine: Our engagement, he took me to my home to my parents country of origin (Grenada) and my biggest surprise to him was probably the 2nd pregnancy (Jenine and I busted out in laughter) She then continues… because Jace had just turned one.
RYC: Girl was that the year something was in the Gatorade?
Jenine: Yes! Yes!!!
RYC: Wow that year was crazy!
Jenine: It was, it was, it was you me and Rebekah and we were all due around the same time!
RYC: And Tiffany (Marc Cubans Wife)
Jenine: Yes! You were August 25th, Rebekah was September 3, and I had Jet on September 14th.
RYC: Yes and I think Tiffany had hers on the 8th or something!
Jenine: That’s crazy! That’s that New Years Eve…(We both laugh, again) But monetarily my biggest surprise to him was a boat! Our favorite pass time is to be on the water, it cures a lot of things.
RYC: I agree it is very peaceful.
RYC: The Howard’s are a beautiful blended family, Juwan Jr. 19 yrs, Sky is 14 yrs, Jace is 10 yrs, Jet is 8 yrs, what are some things that make it work?
Jenine: With children in general you must have an open heart and know as a step mom you want to take into consideration respecting the role their mother plays in their life, and that’s the position you operate from. You’re their friend but you demand respect as well. Once you get that balance down and assert yourself in that position… It’s a tricky position because you’re an adult and your their friend, you’re the wife of their dad.
RYC: Do all the adults get along? Especially during the holidays, how does this play out?
Jenine: Yes we do, and during the holidays we’ve been doing this for fifteen years now so it is second nature. We make an effort to get together with the kids no matter where everyone is. Whether its half day with mom and the other half with dad. We make it work.
RYC: Speaking of making it work. It’s important for the athletes to be prepared for life after basketball and It’s even just as important for the women to be prepared as well. What are your views for when the time comes for Juwan to retire from working as an athlete?
Jenine: “Take care of your family no matter what, this goes for women too. He has in me a woman who is not afraid to work and do whatever and to help and be a partner to him.
RYC: Speaking her truth Jenine is a woman of her word who is definitely not afraid to work! She recently opened a medical spa that she runs in North Carolina. What does the spa provide and who assists you with it while you are in Miami?
Jenine: The spa provides medical massage’s, acne treatment, Botox, fillers. My sister, who is an aesthetician, supports me and this endeavor, she is like my right-hand man. I couldn’t do it without her!
RYC: While running your business you also serves the The Juice Foundation, tell us about that?
Jenine: The Juice Foundation’s mission is to support alternative Cancer treatment. This is very dear to me because my brother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and was given a very short time to survive, and we went into panic mode. Western medicine basically was just giving us council and to prepare for the worse, and we were like, no! So we found a clinic in Mexico with alternative treatment, where he started an organic based diet. A lot of trial treatment, and he survived over a year with this diet and I wanted to continue this for people here in the states who couldn’t afford the resources we were provided.
RYC: So what does Jenine do to balance, Marriage, family and being a business woman?
Jenine: I love Bikram yoga! (Laughs)
RYC: Girl I remember you trying to get me to do that in Houston! Let’s just say I still never found that place. (laughs) So how often do you do girls night out?
Jenine: It’s not habitual, but when the kids schedule permits I definitely do!
RYC: Do you have date nights to keep the marriage in balance?
Jenine: Yes. We try to go out every Thursday night!
RYC: What would you say was the hardest thing you have had to deal with in your relationship and how did you get through it?
Jenine: The separation. You know I felt guilty about moving our kids to every city that he was traded to, so I made Houston our home for three years and even in the best of marriages that took its toll on us and I couldn’t just get up and leave when I missed him. It was a really tough time. It’s important not diminish what marriage is really all about, it’s a commitment to be together forever and sometimes people quit too soon, you have to know that on this persons worse day am I still willing to stick it out! We realized that being apart wasn’t the best thing and we had to prioritize. We had to decide was it more important for the kids to be in the same school or for us to be together? You taught me that and I should have listened at the time but I didn’t. Being together is paramount and its okay for a short amount of time but not long-term. It took my kids some time to adjust when we moved here to Miami from Houston, but they got over it.
RYC: Exactly! Kids are resilient and moving teaches them how to adapt to different scenarios when they do enter the real world. I tried the whole you here I’m there as well, once (going back on my own advice) and that was the worse year ever and I will not do that again. (laughs)
RYC: Being married to a high-profile athlete what do you do to stay grounded?
Jenine: You know kids easily ground you, that’s if you are connected and in tuned with your children and play a major role in raising them, because you can’t be in La La land and parent properly. that grounds us as a family and showing them the values in life and raising good human beings God-fearing children.
RYC: Amen and Amen. I couldn’t have said it better and I couldn’t be more proud to call one of the most grounded and beautiful woman inside and out, my sister in Christ and my fellow NBA wife. Blessings to the Howard family RYC wishes you guys nothing but love and happiness!





















