Afraid Of 'Serial Gambler' Michael Jordan, Bulls Rookies Never Asked For $100 After Beating Him At Pool In The 90s

Michael Jordan was always known for his competitive drive, which extended well beyond basketball. His urge to seek more out of this drive led him to indulge in gambling. Every other off-court activity, be it playing leisurely golf or ping-pong with colleagues, was a gamble for Jordan. However, owing to Jordan’s magnanimous status as a great, Bulls’ rookies used to fear asking ‘His Airness’ for their share of gambles despite winning.

Michael Jordan had some egregious moments that further asserted his reputation in gambling and as a competitive person. One such gamble shocked Charles Barkley when MJ bet $300,000 per hole while playing golf. Another interesting instance was when Jordan obsessively practiced playing ping-pong to try and beat Howard White. All of these prove how MJ would go beyond measures to prove his worth in any competing sphere.

Michael Jordan had struck fear into Bulls’ rookies against asking for gambling debts

Michael Jordan would pick anybody to compete against him in a gamble. Jordan would place a bet on all off-court activities, be it pool, golf, or ping-pong. Among his competitors, he would also pick out Chicago Bulls rookies to bet around $50 or $100 on a game of pool. Sometimes, the rookies would beat Jordan in the games. But without any deter, His Airness would not bother paying the lost bets to these rookies.

In the 1991 book Jordan Rules, Sam Smith wrote about how the rookies were afraid to ask Jordan for money. He gives the example of a rookie Corey Williams, who would often beat Jordan in a pool game. Describing Jordan’s bullying toward the Bulls’ rookies, Sam Smith wrote:

“Jordan, in fact, had a well-earned reputation around the Bulls for not paying his gambling debts and was always dashing off after losing at pool and leaving $50 or $100 unpaid. Corey Williams, a rookie, always beat Jordan at pool, but was always afraid to ask for the money”

MJ’s gambling addiction had earned him a notoriety in the league. He would spend thousands of dollars in high-stake bets, some of which would even come biting at Jordan. To make matters worse, Jordan later got into trouble with authorities because of his addiction. MJ was found to be in connection with Slim Bowler, a notorious drug lord of that time.

Michael Jordan owes millions in debt due to his gambling addiction

Michael Jordan’s addiction to gambling had earned him the title ‘serial gambler.’ This was evident from his frequent bets wagered on every golf game or card game he used to play. Because of these habits, he had a million-dollar debt on his tab.

In the book ‘Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction,’ Jordan revealed that he owed Richard Esquinas $1,300,000 in debt. Furthermore, despite several intimations, Jordan had no plans of returning the owed money to Esquinas. To date, MJ has not returned the money, despite having a net worth of $2 billion. Perhaps, Jordan’s habit of not bothering with lost debts remained even after his career had dawned.