If Michael Jordan had two vices he had to name, gambling and golf would almost certainly be on the tip of his tongue. Now combining the two? Even better for ‘His Airness’. But, just because he loved to place a couple bets out on the green doesn’t mean everybody else did. Especially Nick Van Exel.
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Funnily enough, MJ was never all too fond of golf in the beginning. “I always thought golf was, at a young time, you know, a sissy sport in some respects. And that was at a very childish age.”
Fast-forward to him being enlightened by the sport and he developed the utmost respect for it. “I kind of got into golf mainly because from a competitive standpoint to me, it is the hardest game to play.”
In a recent interview, Van Exel spoke about what it was like golfing with Jordan. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t pressured into having to put up some green while on the green.
“I wouldn’t bet him,” said Nick when asked if Jordan “took all his money”. “I was playing with him and Lawrence Taylor. LT was the big dog back then.”
Taylor and Jordan are exceptionally close due to their connection to Chapel Hill so them playing together makes perfect sense.
Jordan has tried to bet quite often while golfing so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Van Exel had to actively remove himself from the equation. Barkley even confirmed that MJ casually puts up $300,000 bets on single putts.
While Van Exel is a former All-Star, it’s tough to keep up with a multi-billionaire with a seemingly unlimited supply of cash flow. After the game however, MJ and his crew did invite Nick to lounge around with him.
“After the game, it was a lot of drinking wine and scotch because he’s got good tequila. Back then it was scotch.”
Okay so perhaps there’s three vices that MJ indulges in. Golf, gambling, and some A-grade alcohol. Oh, and who can forget his adoration for a good Cuban cigar. So, four.
