Michael Jordan’s $200K Gambling Strategy Inspires Bill Simmons to Wager Identical to the Billionaire

NBA players have had some wild habits off the court over the last few decades. Michael Jordan‘s gambling is one on the long list of insane habits that NBA players have had. The sporting world would know the crazy amounts of cash the icon spent to feed his habit. Something that was reiterated recently by Bill Simmons.

Moreover, it is no secret that Jordan’s gambling issues remain a point of conversation even today. That was certainly the case with Bill Simmons and Chuck Klosterman, who brought up Jordan’s gambling problem. “Michael Jordan is a good example, though. He’s playing these $200,000 skins games against these shady dudes in the early 90s. He loved gambling. Loved it. Like, to the point that he was willing to risk his whole career to continue to gamble at golf,” Bill Simmons said on his podcast.

Simmons added that, unlike Jordan, he never enjoys gambling when the stakes are high. That is the polar opposite of the Chicago Bulls legend, who continuously fed his hunger for gambling by going for huge stakes.

In addition, the 54-year-old podcaster mentions that he bet on the Golden State Warriors to win the 2015 NBA championship, which eventually proved true. Stephen Curry-led Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals that year to win their first title since 1975. That ultimately turned out to be a huge win for Simmons, despite his roots in Massachusetts.

With that said Simmons’ comments about Jordan’s gambling problem shed light on many similar incidents. The 6-time NBA champion has placed his career at risk just to feed his addiction, a decision that cost him heavily back in the day.

Michael Jordan’s history with gambling even after major controversies

During his first retirement in 1993, there were several controversies that Jordan found himself in. One of them was that the NBA suspended him from the league and that was the only reason he retired. Even after these rumors, Jordan never stopped gambling. The NBA legend never admitted that it was a problem or an addiction. 

“I enjoy it, it’s a hobby. If I had a problem, I’d be starving. I’d be hawking this watch, my championship rings, I would sell my house. My wife would have left me, or she’d be starving. I do not have a problem, I enjoy gambling,” Jordan said during an interview with Ahmad Rashad that year.

At the time, he was married to Juanita Vanoy, who wasn’t too happy with his preferences as well. Some reports, at the time, even suggested Jordan’s unhealthy obsession could have also been one of the reasons for their divorce. He is married to Yvette Prieto now and has kept his current likings under wraps for a while now.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.