Stories about Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan typically feature his heroics on the basketball court and the historic performances in the NBA Finals that cemented his reputation as one of the greatest. While these are impressive in every sense, stories about Jordan’s off-court life could be considered equally intriguing.
Michael Jordan is known to be passionate about many things besides basketball. Among these, his love for cigars and gambling is particularly noteworthy. While there are many stories about Jordan playing cards late into the night with his teammates, former NBA player Bonzi Wells recently recalled his own experience of joining the Bulls’ legend at 3 AM to play cards.
“I was blessed to play with Pip [Scottie Pippen], so I kind of had an in with Jordan,” Wells revealed. “So, we’ve had a couple of card games that I’ve been blessed to be in on.”
Wells mentioned that playing cards with Michael Jordan made him realize that there were levels to this game. Given how often the NBA legend would gamble, his mastery is understandable.
“This is a true story. We had a game in Washington. I got a call at three in the morning. We had practice the next morning at like 10. It was like, ‘Aye, man. The game is on. You coming or not?’ Yes. I jumped up. I ran three blocks to the Ritz-Carlton… I knocked on the door, and Jordan answered it.”
“He looked at me, gave me some dap, and said, ‘B Dub, what’s up?’ and he gave me a hug, right?” he continued. “And then when he hugged me, I smelled him. I said, ‘Damn, he smells like success.'”
Bonzi Wells’ hilarious account of the situation only reveals the mythical proportions that Michael Jordan’s reputation grew to even after his retirement. While he was unanimously viewed as the best player in the world during his playing days, it was apparent that his charismatic demeanor continued to feed the overall narrative.
Wells’ NBA career began in the 1998-99 season, briefly after Jordan’s retirement. While he never had the opportunity to play against Michael Jordan early in his career, Wells found himself pairing up with another Bulls legend, Scottie Pippen, on the Portland Trail Blazers.
The relationship between Pippen and Jordan was still strong, which gave Bonzi Wells a chance to meet his idol during a card game. However, it was during this time that the guard found himself facing his idol on the basketball court, too.
Although Michael Jordan returned in the 2001-02 season, he didn’t play against Wells until the next year. In the two games they played against each other, the score was split 1-1. The Trail Blazers beat the Wizards the first time around 98-79, but lost 95-91 the next game.
Jordan outscored Wells on both occasions, posting 14 points in the first game and 25 points in the second. Even though Bonzi Wells didn’t have a solid outing in the first matchup (12 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST), he was far more convincing in his next appearance (20 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST).
