“Losing $40 or $50”: Following Involvement With Drug Dealer, Michael Jordan Lied About Keeping His Gambling Under Control

Michael Jordan and his obsession with gambling have become almost as popular as the man himself. The man widely considered to be one of the greatest to ever play mesmerized the public with The Last Dance. And while the documentary certainly captured the essence of Jordan’s cut-throat competitiveness, it also reignited people’s interest in his olden-days gambling problems.

To be fair, how he spends his money today, as a retired athlete, doesn’t really concern people all that much. But the fans of the legendary Bulls are still as curious about how much and how often MJ gambled when he was still active.

Without an ounce of surprise, the answer to that question is a lot and almost every day. In fact, Jordan was so obsessed with the act of betting money on whatever it could be bet on, that he even got involved with a drug dealer by the name of Slim Bouler.

When news of his gambling involvement became public, Michael Jordan vowed he would control his gambling addiction. However, Jordan couldn’t and eventually broke his promise.

Michael Jordan lied about keeping his gambling habit in control

After the Slim Bouler case became public, Michael Jordan was under a lot of pressure. He had previously lied about his involvement with the drug dealer and now that the truth was out, he was perhaps trying to save face.

Whatever the case, in his attempts to calm down the public, MJ claimed he would keep his gambling limited to $40 or $50. According to Jordan, the problem public had with him wasn’t that he gambled but that he gambled such an enormous amount. So, MJ’s solution to the problem was using just a little bit of money. Author Roland Lazenby in his book Michael Jordan: The Life, wrote of this interaction.

Lazenby: “As the season was set to open, the NBA issued a reprimand of Jordan for gambling on golf and keeping unsavory company, which left him somewhat contrite during training camp. He told reporters he wouldn’t quit gambling but he would lower the stakes. “Winning is great, but when you lose that amount and get all the abuse I got, it ain’t worth it any longer,” he said. “I think people can accept my losing forty or fifty dollars. It’s easy to relate to. A twenty-dollar Nassau is something I should stick with.” 

He once hustled Michael Jordan and went to jail. Years later, Slim Bouler is still gasping for Ai – https://t.co/q3cTNOj4MB #GoogleAlerts

— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) December 20, 2017

Jordan continued to gamble big

Contrary to his promise, Michael did not give up on gambling big. His time with Tiger Woods and Charles Barkley is the biggest proof of this. The two NBA stars along with the golfing legend were infamous for their bets.

Per a 2-10 Vanity Fair article, Jordan, along with Tiger, would bet hundreds and thousands of dollars in casinos. He was seen as a whale in Las Vegas and treated like the most valuable of VIPs just based on the amount of money they would put into their bets. Clearly, this is proof that Michael lied about keeping his gambling amounts in control and relatable.