Michael Jordan’s passion for gambling dates back to his high school days. He often went on gambling sprees with teammates and college coaches during practices, and by the time he entered the NBA, his huge earnings were enough to sustain his gambling habit.
Jordan once tricked the Chicago Bulls’ security by using a big-screen cartoon of a game. He was tipped off by the Arena Video team, allowing him to consistently predict the correct winner, and ultimately defrauded the guard out of $4,100.
However, that’s not all. Another of Jordan’s infamous betting practices involved his teammates. Back when NBA teams hadn’t yet realized the refreshing advantages of charter flights, while the Bulls were waiting for their luggage in Portland, Jordan defiantly took a hundred shots on the conveyor belt, quipping “I bet my luggage goes first come out.”
Despite these shenanigans, Jordan always maintained that his passion for gambling was a simple pastime and that he did not indulge in it. He has denied any accusations about his betting habits, insisting he has not bet on an NBA game during his career.
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Michael Jordan’s first Eastern Conference rival: Milwaukee Bucks
Before Jordan arrived, the Chicago Bulls were a young and inexperienced team dealing with numerous challenges, and their trials were far from over.
In 1985, the Bucks defeated the Bulls 3-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference. This was Jordan’s first exposure to playoff basketball. Despite Jordan’s impressive individual performance – he was the 1982 NCAA champion – the entire series was dominated by Sidney Moncrief and his team. Jordan averaged nearly 29 points in four games, but a lack of support allowed the Bucks to easily win the series.
Jordan admitted in an interview with “Cigar Aficionado”: “It started with Milwaukee, and we couldn’t beat Milwaukee. They were only 45 minutes to an hour away from Chicago. They were a strong team that kept beating us, including in the season.” Postgame. Eventually, we got to the point where we started beating them.”
However, this was just the first time the Bulls had struggled with Jordan in the playoffs. It took another three years, until 1988, before they advanced to the first round of the playoffs.
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