Reflecting on Michael Jordan 's off-court activities, it seemed that the thin line between relentless competitiveness and addiction was often blurred. Though MJ repeatedly claimed that he had no addiction to gambling, blaming it on his desire to win at everything, numerous incidents suggest otherwise.
Gambling with MJ for 36 hours
During his appearance on the All Things Covered podcast, Antoine Walker shed light on MJ's high-stakes gambling world. He revealed that when the Chicago Bulls legend would invite someone for a card game, buy-ins often reached $20,000.
Antoine delved deeper into a particularly intense session where they played spades for a day and a half straight, resulting in approximately $1 million in losses.
"Mike was competitive. I remember one time we played spades for 36 hours, " Walker said . "We were playing against two other guys, and Mike and I were partners. They had us behind $900,000."
Mike was so deeply invested in the game that he postponed his much-anticipated announcement about joining the Washington Wizards after retiring in 1999.
"It was the day he had to make his announcement that he was actually coming back," Walker added. "He canceled the press conference and everything, and we played for 36 hours, man."
Toine also recalled how MJ, needing an extra $500,000, sent his nephew to secretly fetch the money from his golfing bag, warning him not to let his wife know about it. But if we were to ask Mike about it, he'd probably say he did it for competition.
Related: "I'm gonna bring a different color Ferrari every day this week" - How Michael Jordan responded to Antoine Walker coming to practice in Ferrari
Even MJ couldn't play anymore
Ultimately, Antoine and Michael were able to complete a comeback, returning most of the money they had lost. But after 36 hours of gambling, even Jordan, known for being the most relentless competitor in NBA history, couldn't play anymore.
"I was leaving for Boston in a couple of days, so I had about $100,000 cash. I was always a cash person. MJ had about $200,000 on him, but he sent for $500,000. The other guys we played against had money, too. They had us down $900,000, and we got back all the money except for $20,000. Mike did not want to see them win $20,000. They ended up winning $180,000 because he got too tired. He was falling asleep at the table," Walker concluded.
Michael's hard-earned wealth allowed him to engage in high-stakes gambling without suffering substantial financial consequences. However, stories like this hint that those games weren't solely about the competition.
Meanwhile, Mike returned to the NBA, announcing he would join the Wizards on a two-year $1 million deal two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.
Related: "He will donate his first year's salary to the victims of the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks" - Michael Jordan's selfless act that went unnoticed
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