- Michael Jordan was quite the gambler
- The former Bulls legend missed a White House visit in 1991 after Chicago won their first NBA championship
- His gambling habits landed him in a string of controversies
Michael Jordan’s gambling has been well-documented. And here’s one of the stories from the vault that further talks highlights his penchant for gambling.
Soon after the Chicago Bulls‘ first championship in 1991, Jordan was a notable absentee as his teammates visited then- president George H.W. Bush at the White House.
Jordan’s miss was reported to be a previously scheduled family vacation, when he, in fact, was golfing and gambling with James ‘Slim’ Bouler, a drug dealer who was subsequently convicted for money laundering. The feds even seized a check from the Bulls star to Bouler for $57,000. which the former originally claimed to be a loan.
Later, Jordan testified in court that the money was for losing a gambling bet on golf with the dealer.
“It was not represented as a loan at all,” Jordan said, via the New York Times. It was my immediate reaction to the media after a game to save embarrassment and pain, and the connection to gambling.”
Even ESPN and Netflix’s ‘The Last Dance’ details Jordan’s gambling incidents. But this one takes the cake when he missed out on meeting the President for a gambling activity.
Michael Jordan Didn’t Stop Gambling Despite The Controversies
While his gambling habits dented his reputation in 1993 following a series of controversies, Michael Jordan did not quit gambling. While he did ensure his acts didn’t put him in the spotlight, there was no dearth of incidents that showed the gambler he was.
According to his former agent, David Falk, that was one significant problem for Jordan, as he loved to bet, regardless of the outcome.
Appearing on ‘WFAN’s Boomer and Gio’ podcast, Falk discussed a lot of topics regarding the GOAT and his life when he was an active player and the details we didn’t know about the Bulls icon.
“There’s very few things people criticized him for. The gambling thing was it. He loves to gamble. He’s an extremely competitive guy If he loses $150,000 playing golf, big freaking deal. If I told him tomorrow, Hey, I’ve got an appearance for you for five minutes for $150,000.”
“So yes, he lost money in gambling and it sort of had a little bit of a black eye for five minutes. He apologized and the thing went away. But any of these Oliver Stone conspiracy theories that somehow it pushed him out of basketball were ridiculous.”
Whether it was pulling fast ones on his teammates with his bets, or wagering for anything simple, Jordan had a vice. And that will be one of the things attached to him forever.
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