The pure excitement the anticipation that comes with betting on your favorite sports team is unmatched. Emotional ups and downs characterize the voyage. It will either leave you gripping your head in agony as the awareness of the loss sinks in, or it will have you dancing for pleasure as you accept your extraordinary luck and gaze at the sky in gratitude. The need to experience this euphoria has no limitations, and even Michael Jordan was into gambling.
The NBA’s highest points were achieved by Michael Jordan because of his fierce competitiveness. He was a fierce competitor, but not just on the basketball floor. One of the most prolific gamblers in the sports industry is Jordan.
Sports And Gambling
Source: nbcsports.com
Michael Jordan is not the only NBA player that enjoys playing blackjack. Basketball’s best players frequently place large bets in the most exclusive casinos alongside celebrities and millionaires. However, there are online casinos like Slothunter where you can play casino games with like-minded people.
MJ made money from the NBA, which allowed him to place larger bets as frequently as he liked. He did make the most of the chance that came his way. He wagered against well-known athletes, including Sam Smith, Lacy Banks, and Ahmad Rashad. He was a good card player and a decisive winner.
He also placed bets on horses, whose outcomes many people thought he had a hand in. But there isn’t a lot of proof to back up these assertions. He was believed to play basketball-themed smartphone games, among other alternatives, occasionally.
Jordan treated gambling as a sport and never shied away from a challenge.
Michael Jordan’s Wins
Source: sportskeeda.com
The wins MJ are not quite popular and mainstream as his gambling losses. But there are some incidents where he won something.
-
Prom Date Win
Over the course of his career, Michael Jordan has gained a reputation as an enthusiastic gambler. Even the most ardent Jordan fan will undoubtedly be shocked by this news. In a gambling wager, Michael Jordan once defeated his prom date.
It turns out that the Bulls icon even made reference to the incident in a letter. Jordan continued to gamble throughout his time in college. In truth, a $5 check from a pool match he had won while attending the University of North Carolina had been placed up for sale.
-
Blackjack Win
Michael Jordan, who is regarded as the greatest player in history, is outstanding off the court as well. Additionally, it is stated that Jordan is a fierce competitor in casinos. He frequently appears in the casinos in Atlantic City. Michael Jordan frequently places absurdly large bets. He once wagered $45,000 in a game of blackjack and came away with more than $1 million.
-
Betting On The Plane
Traveling is a must for professional athletes. NBA clubs play 41 away games per season, which causes them to accumulate a lot of air miles. Players must come up with strategies to pass the time on those long journeys. That means playing card games and placing bets on them for MJ and the Bulls. Although this is common for NBA teams, Jordan was praised for creating a “casino-like” atmosphere.
Even the different buy-in levels got their tables at Jordan’s Bulls. MJ and the other starters, it was said, would play at a high-stakes table at the back. Jordan didn’t learn about the front table for role players till later.
According to reports, Jordan was nearly discovered at one or more tables. That implies that for almost a decade, while he was playing in the NBA, Jordan played real-money blackjack almost every day. Over that time, Jordan must have traded thousands of dollars with the other Bulls players.
Michael Jordan’s Losses
Source: sportscasting.com
-
The Golf Loss
Jordan was frequently found on a golf course when he wasn’t playing basketball or cards. Of course, he was still gambling even though he wasn’t using cards. MJ would frequently wager with whoever he was playing with on each hole.
When playing golf with pals, it’s not unusual for them to wager $10, $20, or even $200 per hole. As he frequently did, MJ increased the level of competition. During his golf escapades, Jordan reportedly played for six figures per hole.
Additionally, Charles Barkley even revealed to the public that his lifelong opponent and friend bet him $300,000 on a single putt while they were playing golf along with other affluent men.
Jordan once allegedly owed Richard Esquinas $1.25 million for lost golf wagers, according to Esquinas, a former golfing buddy of Jordan’s.
Although it’s difficult to pinpoint precisely how much Jordan has lost over the course of his life, it’s safe to assume that it exceeds the amount that 90% of workers will earn before retirement. Although the odds seem astronomical, Jordan appears to have been playing within his means all along.
-
$5 Million Loss At Craps
He often staked his money at the casino table in addition to wagering with his buddies and teammates.
He would frequently be spotted at the casino the day before or just hours before a big game, hoping to strike it rich! Funny enough, he lost the most money at the Craps table in Las Vegas.
He lost $5 million in one night, but oddly, his friend had just won $1 million at the same table! Possibly a case of Jordan’s competitive nature taking over once more!
-
Drug Dealer Cheque
When James “Slim” Bouler, a convicted drug dealer, was on trial for money laundering and narcotics possession in 1992, Michael Jordan gave a testimony. When the authorities discovered a check for $57K, it was discovered that Mike had made the check to make up for his gambling losses related to golf. Even though Mike was one of the most wealthy players at the time and $57K meant nothing to him, people began to speculate about Mike’s compulsive gambling addiction.
Conclusion
MJ is perhaps the greatest basketball player ever to pick up a ball. Michael Jordan’s gambling practices, nevertheless, are virtually as well-known as his play.
