Former World Series Champion Mark Grace recalls the time he saw Michael Jordan in a casino playing blackjack
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Being the best at what he does, whether it’s on the court or off of it, was Michael Jordan’s MO. The 6x NBA Champion had a burning desire to be the best. It may have been one of the factors that made him the greatest of all time.
On the court, Michael Jordan was the fiercest, scariest opponent you could face. He had ways of intimidating his opponents and striking fear in their hearts, even before they made their way to the arena. MJ was the best at his craft, and his 6-0 record in the Finals is shining proof of the same.
His Airness would try to approach other things with the same intensity as well. Apart from being a big golf aficionado, Jordan also had a burning passion for gambling, and would often be found in casinos.
Mark Grace recalls the time he saw Michael Jordan in a casino
Mark Grace, a former Chicago Cubs first baseman was well known in Chicago. He went on to have 3x All-Star selections and win a World Series before he hung up his boots. Since then, he’s become a huge golf nut. Recently Grace was on GOLF’s Subpar Podcast, where he shared a story involving Michael Jordan and blackjack.
Grace talked about how his parents came to visit him on an off day, and they decided to go to a riverboat casino. The casino had three levels, with the 2nd level reserved for Blackjack. The level had 70 tables, but the place was roped off. One table was being used, and it was by MJ.
“And he’s got stacks of — I think 50s and 100s [chips] are really, really good, and he’s got colors I’ve never seen before,” Grace said. “He’s got aqua marine and he’s got all of these colors and there are stacks of thousands, five-thousands, ten-thousands, stacks of them.”
“I watched him play about 20 hands, and if he played 20 hands he probably won 18 of them,” Grace said. “And he’s putting thousands upon thousands of dollars, big stacks of chips, anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 a hand, and he’s winning. And I’m watching this s— and I’m like, ‘Man it must be good to be the king.’”
Well, this is one more feather to the cap we know as Michael Jordan’s gambling stories. MJ loved to gamble, and things didn’t always turn out in his favor. However, that never stopped Jordan. I guess when you’re Michael Jordan, you can afford to do whatever you want.
