Michael Jordan has a $2.2 billion empire today, but once insisted on getting $5 after beating the head of security in a table tennis clash.
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There is no denying that Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player ever lived. The Chicago Bulls leader revolutionized the NBA and is still one of the most influential personalities in the sporting world.
Being one of the most fierce competitors helped MJ rack up a stacked resume. Over the span of Mike’s 15-year illustrious career, he won every silverware possible. “His Airness” has a ridiculously long list of achievements – 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, 10 scoring titles, 5 MVPs, 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs, and holds approximately 200 franchise records.
With basketball being relatively easy for Michael, he would often look into other hobbies and display his competitiveness in activities such as golf or even gambling.
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He was known to be such a big gambler, that people regarded Air Jordan as an addict. However, according to the 6-foot-6 two-guard, it wasn’t a gambling problem, it was merely a “competition problem”.
“I can stop gambling,” Jordan said in a 1993 interview with Connie Chung. “I have a competition problem, a competitive problem.”
Describing gambling as a “hobby”, MJ also said:
“I enjoy it, it’s a hobby,” Jordan said. “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.”
Michael Jordan once demanded $5 after defeating the head of security in a game of Table Tennis
A former mobster and captain of the Colombo crime family once detailed his experience of seeing Mike gamble. In an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin podcast in April, Michael Franzese narrated an anecdote from the time when MJ defeated the head of security in a game of Table Tennis and went away $5 richer.
“I love Jordan, to me, he is still the all-time favorite basketball player, but we were once in a security meeting with the NBA. Michael was playing the head of security in table tennis for five bucks. Of course, Michael wins, he wins at everything. So Horace has his warm-up suit on, and Michael goes where are my five bucks. He said that it’s up in his room, so he goes up and tells him to go out to get it.”
“Horace looked at him and said, five bucks Michael. He said yeah, this is my trophy, I beat you. He puts it in his pocket and walks away. I said, wow, this is intense.”
A classic Michael Jordan story!
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