NBA legend Michael Jordan once berated his Bulls teammate for losing to him in a card game and not having the money.
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Michael Jordan’s tryst with gambling is no secret. The six-time champion enjoyed betting, whether it be during a card game or on the golf course. During his time in the league, there were reports of MJ suffering from a gambling addiction, something the Bulls guard vehemently denied.
Though Jordan never denied his love for betting, he clarified it was merely a hobby and nothing else.
In a 1993 interview with Ahmad Rashad, MJ described his gambling as a “hobby.”
“I enjoy it, it’s a hobby,” said the Bulls MVP. “If I had a problem, I’d be starving. I’d be hawking this watch, my championship rings, I would sell my house. My wife would have left me, or she’d be starving. I do not have a problem, I enjoy gambling.”
Nonetheless, the conspiracy that Jordan’s first retirement in 1993 was an indirect suspension for his gambling issues continues to live. However, the six-time Finals MVP never shied away from admitting that he had a competitive problem, something he addressed in the docuseries The Last Dance too.
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Stories of MJ playing cards with his teammates never get old, especially during away games, flying from one city to another. One such story had His Airness curse out his teammate for not having money to pay him for losing, resulting in the latter having to dial his dad.
Michael Jordan made Jack Haley call his dad for $17,000.
MJ’s competitive zeal to succeed wasn’t only limited to the hardwood. The fourteen-time All-Star had an obsessive nature when it came to winning, with his teammates often bearing the brunt of it. One such instance involved the late Jack Haley.
On a flight from Chicago to LA, Haley lost a card game to His Airness, with the latter demanding to be paid once they landed. Unfortunately, the 6ft 10′ forward/center didn’t have the funds, which led to an infuriated Jordan asking Haley to dial up his dad.
Former Bulls assistant head coach Johnny Bach explained,
“Michael said, ‘Well, then you get it. You call Daddy Warbucks now.’ Daddy owns a restaurant,” Bach said, via Chicago Sports historian Jack M Silverstein. What followed was Jack’s old man turning up the next morning and handing out the money.
An agitated MJ said, “Don’t fu**** play with me, Jack, if you can’t pay off. I don’t want your money, but you lost, and Daddy has to come with that money in cash.”
Well, Haley should have known what he was getting into, given having first-hand experience of MJ’s competitive nature.
