Michael Jordan is not only the greatest NBA player of all time but arguably the greatest athlete to ever live. The Chicago Bulls legend earned a lot of love and respect thanks to his incredible prowess, leading his team to six NBA championships in eight years during the 90s.
His competitiveness was unmatched and even off the court, MJ was always ready to outdo rivals at the most meaningless game you can think of. However, there was an aspect in MJ’s personality where he lets people win, and that’s paying for things.
Back in 2017, Hollywood superstar Will Smith revealed details of his relationship with Jordan. During an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Smith said that Jordan constantly tries to beat him in different activities, but he has an Achilles heel. When it comes to paying for dinner, His Airness suddenly stops competing.
“We’re friendly, we’ve hung out a few times… It’s a competition. Mike and Tiger are the two most competitive people that I’ve ever met.”
“I love being around people with that kind of competitive energy. But Michael would compete with anything thought. If we’re drinking water, Mike would be like ‘I’ll race you!’… You can’t beat Mike at anything. If Mike can’t beat you, he’s not going to play… I considered myself competitive till I spent time with them. It’s another level, like another command of their minds. You see why they win because of that kind of mindset.”
“He’s not good at that… somehow you always get your hands to the check before him.”
MJ has been accused of being cheap many times. NHL GOAT Wayne Gretzky once revealed that Jordan gave very poor tips in Las Vegas, which prompted the Canadian hockey player to teach Mike a lesson. These stories seem to be more common than we think. Competitive as he was, there’s a side of Jordan that isn’t as flattering as his on-court feats.
