The movie “The Last Dance” recently aired on Netflix partly depicts the journey that made Michael Jordan the best basketball player in history. Here are some more compilations of his behind-the-scenes life.
Michael Jordan built a huge fortune from huge sponsorship contracts. Photo: Reuters.
The first athlete to become a USD billionaire
After ending his glorious career with six NBA championship rings, Michael Jordan signed a shoe sponsorship contract with Nike. Later, that signature made him the richest former athlete in the world.
During his career playing for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, Jordan received less than $100 million in salary. However, after leaving the football field in 2003, the legend born in 1963 created a fortune of up to 2.1 billion USD, becoming the first athlete to join the USD billionaire club. He owns many properties across the United States, opens a golf course and many restaurants.
Debt 1.2 million USD because of playing golf
Not only is Michael Jordan a smart businessman, he is also known as a lucky gambler. The former Chicago Bulls defender once got into debt of up to $1.2 million after a few golf sessions.
Michael Jordan once skipped a visit to the White House just to play golf and bet with a drug lord. Photo: AP.
The book “Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction.. My Cry For Help” (Michael and I, our gambling addiction… Begging for help) reveals a series of problems about people’s gambling addiction. Jordan. The book details how Jordan owed up to $1.2 million after 10 consecutive days of playing golf and betting up to $100,000 per hole. Later, the debt was reduced to $300,000.
Lost 5 million USD after one night in Las Vegas
If the number 300,000 USD is not a big problem for a rich person like Michael Jordan, surely a bet loss of up to 5 million USD would startle many people. Jordan regularly spent time at casinos while playing professionally and sometimes bet late into the night right before Chicago Bulls games.
Jordan (holding cigar) once bet up to $100,000 on a game of rock, paper, scissors. Photo: Fadeaway World.
The 57-year-old legend is also willing to bet on everything possible. Jordan even challenged his teammates to guess whose luggage went out first at the airport.
The above numbers not only show the wealth of the player who won the NBA Finals MVP title six times, but also prove that he hates losing.
Almost shunned by Tiger Woods…
When Tiger Woods rose to fame in the 1990s, he quickly became a superstar in the sports world and attracted the attention of Michael Jordan. In his autobiography titled “Tiger Woods”, the legendary American golfer revealed that he was once advised to stay away from the Chicago Bulls star. John Merchant, a lawyer who helped the Woods family when the 44-year-old golfer was still studying at Stanford University, was the one who issued the warning.
“Michael may be the best basketball player,” Yahoo Sports quoted Merchant as saying. “But other than that, he’s not good at anything else. Not at all! And Michael’s been famous for a long time, so he’ll take advantage of you.”
… but became close friends and taught Tiger Woods how to flirt with women
However, Woods considered Jordan an idol during his school years. Woods ignored the warning, maintaining a close relationship with the Chicago Bulls legend. Before the love scandal broke out in 2009, the 82-time PGA Tour champion golfer was described by close friends as shy about social interaction, especially when interacting with women.
According to ESPN, Woods went with Jordan and baseball superstar Derek Jeter to a nightclub in 1999 and asked how to talk to women. With confused eyes, Jordan and Jeter looked at each other before giving advice: “Just tell them you’re Tiger Woods.”
First player to own an NBA team
Three years after retiring, Michael Jordan bought part of the Charlotte Bobcats football team before becoming the second largest shareholder after Robert L. Jackson. In 2010, the former six-time NBA champion expressed his desire to control the team.
In February of that year, the wish of the legend born in 1963 came true. Jordan is the first player to become the largest shareholder at a club in the American professional basketball league. Since the Charlotte Bobcats changed their name to the Hornets in 2014, Jordan has retained control of the club but has sold a small stake to the duo of Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim.
Arguing with former President Bill Clinton on the golf course
Just like on the basketball court, Michael Jordan is also aggressive and ready to spar with anyone, even if it is the former US President. During a meeting with Bill Clinton, Jordan asked: “Are you going to play from the girls’ tee?”. After that, Jordan forced the former President to step up to the tee of the professional athletes.
After laughing loudly, Clinton listened to the former Chicago Bulls player and the two played all 18 holes of golf. Meanwhile, Jordan often lit up a cigar. The 57-year-old basketball legend admitted that he smokes about six cigarettes a day.
Not bothering to take pictures with famous fans
When rapper Chamillionaire met Michael Jordan at a party, the 40-year-old hip hop star did not hesitate to ask to take a photo with his old hero, but was flatly refused. The rapper who won a Grammy Award in 2007 said that he once spent $7,000 to buy a Jordan jersey, but only received the response: “If you pay $15,000 right now for one of my shirts, I’m ready.” take a photo with you”.