Michael Jordan as the NBA’s Gambling King Made Winning & Losing $10 Million Look ‘Cool’

Michael Jordan made gambling look easy, heading into casinos and playing cards with teammates whenever he could get the time.

Michael Jordan as the NBA’s Gambling King Made Winning & Losing $10 Million Look ‘Cool’

Michael Jordan made gambling cool (Image via FirstSportz)

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As the NBA braces itself for blowback after the arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, one might wonder if they were trying to follow the league’s gambling king, Michael Jordan.

“His Airness” was quite open about his gambling addiction, often partaking in games or tables whenever he was afforded the opportunity. In fact, initially, the league tried its best to keep a lid on his activities.

But later, when confronted about it, Jordan openly stated that he did not have a gambling problem. Rather, it was just a hobby, and he loved indulging in it to keep his competitive fire stoked.

No. I enjoy it as a hobby. If I had a problem, I would be starving. I would be hawking this watch, my championship rings, I would sell my house. My wife would have left me, or she would be starving. I do not have a problem, I enjoy gambling.

Michael Jordan said

The North Carolina native added in that 1993 interview with NBC that it would be the only negative thing people would associate him with after he had left the game.

He always stuck to the salary he was making from the Chicago Bulls and the enormous endorsements his association with Nike afforded. Michael Jordan was making millions at a time when it was not normal for NBA stars to do so.

Those millions of dollars in income gave him the freedom to bet high during games. Whenever he was betting, he would stake the money he had at hand.

Michael Jordan used to bet 10s of millions of dollars

Tales of Michael Jordan’s exploits at the gambling tables are now part of NBA folklore. Be it him continuously playing cards with Dream Team members late into the night.

Or when the 5-time league MVP and Charles Barkley, his best friend at the time, used to frequent casinos in between games. Some have even revealed the amount of money Jordan used to bet.

Sometimes, those used to go into 10s of millions of dollars, even going to the point when he would ring his entourage to bring money from his account or house, just so that he would avoid losing.

Jordan has continued his gambling to this day. If he is not doing it in casinos, the Chicago Bulls great does it on the golf course, ping-pong tables, and even while playing the childhood game of rock-paper-scissors.

It seems that competing every single moment is a reflection of his incredible drive to be the best in every situation. He loves to gamble, but now, in the wake of these new allegations, it seems those who admire him have taken it up a bit too seriously.

Should Michael Jordan be blamed for NBA stars’ gambling mistakes

Michael Jordan, admittedly, was gambling as a hobby. He found fun in doing so. The likes of Jontay Porter did it for purely financial gain, and that too, illegally.

Michael Jordan gambling at Atlantic City during the playoffs
Michael Jordan gambling at Atlantic City during the playoffs (Image via Sports Mockery/X)

He has been banned from the game, and now it seems Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, former player Damon Jones, and possibly Malik Beasley are about to face the wrath of the FBI.

Their actions, as revealed by the federal agency, were purely about deceiving the system to gain for themselves and their co-conspirators. They might have gotten the itch to gamble from Michael Jordan, but the megastar always kept it legal.

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