"It's his money and he should do what he wants" – Ex-Bulls center Bill Cartwright defended Michael Jordan's gambling activities

Michael Jordan's fierce competitiveness was often cited as the driving force behind his gambling habits, but as a high-profile figure, his actions inevitably attracted significant attention.

There is no credible evidence of when Jordan’s gambling started. However, it was believed that MJ could wager on anything, from cards to golf games, among other things.

In 1992, Jordan found himself getting unwanted attention as his fame had grown from his early days. He made headlines after admitting that he had paid off about $108,000 in debts from gambling with friends in North Carolina. One of these individuals, a guy named Eddie Dow, was killed that same year in his home.

Unwanted distraction

Given all the media coverage MJ was getting, concern grew about how it would affect the Chicago Bulls. The team was aiming to make it back-to-back titles that year, but critics feared the negative publicity would create some dissension from within.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Bulls players such as Bill Cartwright sounded off, stressing that His Airness is mature enough to live his own life. That includes betting on golf matches, pointing out that that it was his money anyway.

“I don't know how much of it is our business,” Cartwright said via UPI at the time. “If Michael Jordan wants to bet on golf matches, it's fine with me. It's his money, and he should do what he wants,” he added.

Overall, the league and the organization saw no fault in Jordan’s gambling activities. However, it was his association with guys like Dow that raised some concerns. Michael needed to choose his associates carefully to avoid complications that could place the North Carolina product in a dire predicament.

But with the Bulls' rampage continuing, Jordan’s status was growing – same with his paycheck. This further encouraged him to gamble with bigger stakes, something shared by Bulls writer Sam Smith.

“I know he enjoyed the lifestyle and the ability to gamble at high stakes, which was much easier to do when he had a lot of money,” Smith stated .

The Big Hole

With Jordan’s gambling continuing, so did the media attention. In fact, things got out of hand during the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals when the Bulls faced the Knicks.

This was the time when word got out that MJ went to an Atlantic City casino to gamble. Media reporters got under his skin, resulting in Jordan giving them the silent treatment.

With Michael clamming up, his father, James Jordan, acted as his spokesperson. The 58-year-old stressed that he didn’t mind speaking on his son’s behalf and that he would do anything for Mike.

Jordan's gambling persisted over the years, but the 6-foot-6 guard had a keen sense of when to place bets and when to hold back, reinforcing his famous claim that he didn't have a gambling problem but rather a competition problem.

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