Michael Jordan allegedly bet Scottie Pippen $100 on Jumbotron races he already knew the outcome of. He won $100 during every home game.
Advertisement
Michael Jordan’s penchant for gambling is widely documented. Gambling was as much a part of Jordan’s life as basketball, from late nights in casinos to betting with teammates. Jordan, in particular, enjoyed wagering with teammates, whether in shooting contests or, unfortunately for Scottie Pippen, on Jumbotron races.
There are numerous anecdotes regarding Scottie Pippen and his incredible friendship with Michael Jordan. They formed one of the best NBA duos in history, leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s.
June 12, 1991: Led by Michael Jordan’s 30 PTS & Scottie Pippen’s 32, the Chicago #Bulls defeated the Lakers during Game 5 to win their very 1st NBA Championship in franchise history which kickstarted a 3-peat and 6 Championships over an 8-year spanpic.twitter.com/W2IbwHZG5T
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 13, 2022
Despite their friendship’s ups and downs, Pippen and Jordan were always there for each other. That doesn’t mean they didn’t taunt or fool each other. In fact, when MJ duped Scottie into betting on jumbotron races, he pulled off one of the biggest jokes on him.
Jordan was an ardent bettor who always attempted to persuade people to bet with him on everything. Pippen was one of those people. Amin Elhassan of ESPN told the story of Jordan making Pippen lose hundreds of dollars with prepared jumbotron races in 2016.
Also, read – $35 million Lonzo Ball would never take LeBron James for granted following Lakers trade
Michael Jordan tricked Scottie Pippen into betting money and losing on Jumbotron races
Michael Jordan was a fierce competitor who despised losing at practically anything. The Bulls standout was also a compulsive gambler, engaging in ridiculous bets with teammates and friends.
According to ESPN’s Amin Elhassan, Jordan discovered one day that the animated bull races shown on the Bulls’ Jumbotron were pre-recorded. So he began asking the Bulls’ operations staff which color bull would win the race that night before each game.
They’d tell him, and Jordan’d use that information to dupe his teammate Scottie Pippen into a bet.
Michael Jordan swindled Scottie Pippen out of money using pre-recorded Jumbotron races. https://t.co/teDUJW98vq pic.twitter.com/e39rssQCVi
— theScore (@theScore) June 11, 2016
So, if the Jumbotron race occurred during a timeout, Jordan would bet Pippen $100 that he could correctly predict the winner. Pippen would agree to the bet, unaware that Jordan had insider information on the race, only to lose it immediately.
According to Elhassan, Jordan did this for most of the season, and Pippen simply agreed, losing $100 to his teammate at every home game. An NBA season lasts 170 days, so you can imagine Scottie’s plight.
Jordan is making a big joke here. His Airness was an all-time troll, and this proves it. Unfortunately for Pippen, he was the victim of this one, but none of that matters when you win so many games alongside No. 23.
Also, read – Valued at $6.3 million, Bronny James continues to fuel the hype train with a two-footed tomahawk dunk!