Did you know that Michael Jordan gambled since his high school days? Even his biographies mention a few incidents. In 1982, MJ had written a $5 cheque to a fellow student for losing a pool game and there were instances where he bet during practice sessions with his teammates and coaching staff for small amounts.
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By the time he joined the NBA, the Bulls legend loved gambling, and often stories would come out about him putting outrageous amounts of money on the line. Michael Jordan was a public figure, arguably the biggest celebrity in America, and had millions of people, including kids looking up to him as a role model. So, whenever his gambling affairs went public, the media questioned him.
In the resurfaced interview, the six-time NBA Champion can be heard explaining this issue to an interviewer. MJ detailed why gambling has always been a hobby for him, which is why he doesn’t consider it a problem. MJ said,
“No, I enjoy it. It’s a hobby.”
Then, the Bulls legend proceeded to differentiate between a hobby and a problem in order to make a point that if he indeed had a problem, it would be evident in his life.
“If I had a problem, I’d be starving. I’d be hocking this watch, my championship rings, I would sell my house, I would do this. My wife left me, she’d be starving, my kids would be [starving]. I do not have a problem. I enjoy gambling.”
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MJ’s response and his life outside of basketball made it seem like he didn’t actually have a gambling addiction. Some may allude that he enjoyed gambling because there’s a thrill to it. The adrenaline rush that people get from gambling helps them get over their worries and stress for a while, and that could be another reason why MJ was drawn to it.
In this case, he was risking a lot of money for that thrill and sometimes even lost that money in the process.
Michael Jordan once owed $1.2 million in golf bet
Jordan considered golf to be the most challenging sport from everything else that he had played. So, whenever it was time to step on the greens, he was going in with the same attitude that he played basketball with. Since there was no scope for physicality or enough trash talk, betting money seemed to be the only way to make golf rounds competitive. MJ owing $1.2 million in golf bets was a hidden secret for a long time.
Then, businessman, Richard Esquinas, who was also MJ’s golf buddy for a while, published a book titled ‘Michael and Me: Our gambling addiction…my cry for help‘. In that book, Esquinas unveiled putting money on the line for their golf games was a pretty common thing. Unfortunately, due to unpaid dues, the amount piled up to $1.2 million. While MJ admitted there was a debt to be paid, he said the total amount was $300k, which he paid to Esquinas before he published his book in 1993.
