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“Michael Jordan is notoriously cheap”: When Bulls legend refused Nick Young a paycheck for breaking a vase in his basketball camp

Amulya Shekhar
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"Michael Jordan is notoriously cheap": When Bulls legend refused Nick Young a paycheck for breaking a vase in his basketball camp

Michael Jordan once refused to pay Nick Young the lump sum for attending his basketball camp after the latter broke a vase at the premises.

The former Lakers guard has often been perceived as a knucklehead, and not without reason. Young has been on the wrong end of quite a few embarrassing moments. In addition, his personal life has had some dumpster fires. Nearly everyone remembers the disaster that was his relationship with Iggy Azalea, and how it ended.

Young was, however, a promising player with the ability to really shoot the ball. You don’t play in the NBA for 12 seasons without a significant, world-class skill level in at least one aspect of the game. Young was a decent 3-and-D wing at his best – his ring with the Warriors was merely the topping to a respectable NBA career.

Also Read: “Nets are missing a key element”: Steve Nash reveals shortcomings of his team despite a Big 3 of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant

How Nick Young crossed paths with Michael Jordan

Young told this amusing story in a 2019 episode of the Certified Buckets podcast. During college, he’d worked out at Jordan’s basketball camp. One night, however, Swaggy P and some others “went out, had a little fun, and … ended up breaking something in the room: a whole vase.”

Jordan took this act as an affront to the sanctity of his camp:

“So we ended up breaking it, and for our punishment, Jordan paid none of us. It was like 15 of us,” Young explained. “I thought I was going to get my check at the end. All I got was a picture. He said, ‘That’s all ya’ll get is a picture with me.”

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Also Read: “LeBron James has lied to the American public”: Stephen A Smith explains why Lakers star is a hypocrite for his statement after beating Giannis’s Bucks

Michael Jordan has earned a reputation as a ‘cheapo’ over the years. Wayne Gretzky embarrassed him for tipping ridiculously low at a dinner table once.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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