Prior to 1994, Johnny Bach was an integral part of the Chicago Bulls’ coaching staff. During his time in The Windy City, Bach got to work with some incredible players. Three of them are the GOAT Michael Jordan, his partner-in-crime Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. In 2014, Bach shared a story surrounding these three, that featured in Sam Smith’s book There Is No Next. The story in question revolved around a $50 challenge that MJ proposed to Scottie and Grant that inevitably helped them become better shooters.
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Gambling has always been an important part of Jordan’s persona. The Hall of Famer loves to challenge others, especially when a good bet is involved. For him, it didn’t matter how big the stakes were, whether it was a hefty $100,000 on a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, or just $50 on a shooting challenge. So, when the chance to both swindle and improve Pippen and Horace came around, MJ jumped at it.
Michael Jordan once improved the shooting of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant with a $50 challenge
In the 1990s, Michael Jordan was the leader of the Chicago Bulls. He was an exceptional talent who spearheaded the team to six NBA Championships. One of the reasons he was so successful, was because of the immense hard work he put into practice. So much so, that he perfected his jump shot near the post.
There was no stopping MJ when he faked you near the post, any shot he took, he knew was going in. This gave him all the confidence in the world. But, as always, there were those who believed they could best His Airness. And, as Johnny Bach revealed, two of them were his own teammates, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant.
He recalled how one day, Jordan “whooed”, leaving Bach very confused. When he asked MJ why he did that, the latter jokingly revealed that his two “pigeons” were coming down to challenge him. The challenge in question revolved around the very shot Jordan had perfected, and with $50 on the line. Both Pippen and Grant were confident, but this is Michael Jeffrey Jordan being talked about. To no one’s surprise, they lost. But, at the same time, Bach claimed that these challenges made both of them better shooters.
“People don’t realize he practiced shooting every day, $50 a shot, though. And who did he get? He’d be like this: ‘Whoo, whoo.’ I said what are you doing? He said, ‘My two pigeons coming down, Horace and Pippen and they are going to play me $50 a shot.’ And they did. And they thought they could beat him. Made Horace a much better shooter, and Pippen.”
Safe to say, both Scottie and Horace learned that accepting any challenge from MJ would not end well. Nevertheless, these challenges greatly improved both players’ games. And, perhaps this helped the Bulls win three championships with all three members between 1991 and 1993. Moreover, MJ always had a soft spot for gambling.
His Airness had an obsession with betting on everything except NBA games
Michael Jordan’s penchant for gambling was well known. In the early 1990s, it became public knowledge that MJ was obsessed with betting and gambling. According to reports, he bet on anything and everything. Whether it was trick shots in practice, running games of gin rummy on the Bulls plane, or hosting All-Night poker games on the road.
However, there was one thing that His Airness refused to bet on and that was NBA games. This came to light, only after the league conducted their own thorough investigation into Jordan’s gambling habits.
Over the years, there have been many stories of Jordan’s gambling addiction. He has reportedly lost millions of dollars because of it. Nevertheless, he hasn’t stopped loving the thrill of it all and continues to put up his money wherever he can. Whether it’s at the tables in Las Vegas, on the golf course, or just with everyday activities.
