Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time, but he is also a prolific and enthusiastic gambler and a man who is willing to step over anybody for his own benefit. All of these traits come together in a story that Amin Elhassan told on a recent edition of ESPN’s The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe.
One key difference between this tale and many others on Jordan’s most notorious vice: He isn’t so much gambling in Elhassan’s tale as he is taking advantage of Scottie Pippen, his running mate on six championship-winning teams with the Chicago Bulls.
As Elhassan tells it, Jordan once grew inquisitive about this little video board segment that would play at the United Center. In the game, three little bull icons would race and lead to one section of the arena winning a free prize. Most sporting venues feature a similar promotion. Many involve Dunkin’ Donuts.
Jordan apparently found out that it was predetermined which icon was going to win every race, and discovered on this specific night that the red bull would emerge victorious. Before the game tipped off, Jordan bet Pippen – one of the league’s best players and a future Hall of Famer, remember – a hundred bucks that his little red friend would win.
Pippen took the bet and proceeded to lose, of course, but the deception didn’t stop there. Jordan continued to play this game night in and night out, winning every time because Pippen never managed to catch onto his gambit.
Basically, Michael Jordan, one of the richest, most successful athletes of all-time, was willing to con his teammate for a few hundred bucks. No word if he pulled a similar thing on Bugs Bunny when they were teammates in Space Jam.
(Via ESPN)
