Michael Jordan’s career and life are straight out of a movie script. His rise to fame and takeover of the basketball world holds a legendary status in the ethos of the NBA. Yet, right at the peak of his career, Jordan’s father James put his family through some terrible business and life decisions. MJ lost his family as an escape from the public. In turn, Michael found solace in golf which led to some major gambling.
Advertisement
Jordan’s obsession with golf is a well-known fact. His love for the sport has defined many great MJ stories. The Bulls legend would often play with rival stars or teammates and indulge in banter and obviously betting.
Some of those bets were beyond the comprehension of an average man. However, this habit of gambling got Jordan into some financial trouble. He ended up with a $1.3 million debt and all of it started because of James Jordan.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal Once Likened 6ft 4″ Dwyane Wade’s ‘Humble’ and ‘Shy Nature’ to that of a Superhero
Michael Jordan was obsessed with gambling because of James Jordan
In his book Michael Jordan: The Life, author Roland Lazenby wrote in detail about the turbulent times that led to His Airness becoming a golf maniac. He detailed how the failing Flight 23 stores had left James Jordan in the dirt. Another failed endeavor in the clothing business further derailed James.
The failure’s caused Michael to decide never to do business with his family ever again. The trouble all of this called caused a domino effect on Michael. Along with losing trust in James and others as possible business partners, he also lost the ability to escape everything when he was around his family.
Jordan was morose and in need of someplace he could find peace and excitement. That is where golf came into play. Once he began playing golf every time he needed an outlet, he also began to gamble on the games. The sanctuary turned into a habit and the habit turned into an obsession.
Lazenby: “More and more, golf was becoming his means of escape. His other main discovery about his life was that even when he got away, his competitive urges and the adrenaline rushes they bred were still with him. He had long enjoyed small bets on all sorts of things, but especially golf. As the sanctuary of his personal life evaporated, he turned to golf for relief and to wagering to feed his craving for an adrenaline rush. And now that his life was larger, the bets became larger, too.”
Gambling landed Jordan into a $1.3 million debt
Interestingly, as the wagers increased so did the winning and losing amount. In his book ‘Michael and Me: Our Gambling Addiction… My Cry for Help,’ Michael Jordan’s frequent golfing partner, Richard Esquinas, revealed that MJ owed him almost $1.3 million from golf bets.
Though MJ later denied these allegations, Esquinas later revealed that Jordan paid him back $300,000. Not a fair settlement, to be honest.
