For much of Michael Jordan 's playing career, gambling was a subject that caused a lot of controversy and produced a lot of crazy stories. Many claimed that his seeming gambling addiction ruined his superstar image. But outside these criticisms, players who have seen Mike with a hand of cards and sacks of money have shared out-of-this-world narratives.
Former NBA big man Frank Brickowski once related a story about being tempted to steal wads of cash during an MJ card game.
Brick's MJ gambling story
In an appearance on the John Canzano BFT Podcast, Brickowski shared how he once ended up in Mike's hotel suite where the GOAT was in the middle of a card game. Frank was hanging out with Charles Oakley , who suddenly received a call from Jordan telling them to go to his hotel room.
"So I just follow him out the door, we go to this other tower and we up, and we go to Michael's suite, and he has a gambling game still going on from the night before," Brickowski said . "It's nine o'clock in the morning, and I look around the room, and all I see is piles of cash."
"My mind goes to, 'We'll put sleeping gas under the door, everyone will get knocked out, and we'll split the profits,'" Frank continued.
Night comes, and the former Seattle SuperSonics big man couldn't shake off what he saw in MJ's suite. He asked Oakley how much money was in the room.
"He held up two fingers -- there was $2 million in cash in that room," Brick added.
Related: "It's just like a good friend saying we cannot hang out anymore" - Magic Johnson on Karl Malone refusing to play with him in the 1992 ASG
No judgement
Good thing Brick was a good guy and did not follow what the devil whispered in his ear. Not only that, but he was among those who understood Jordan's propensity for gambling. For the former NBA journeyman, Michael played cards to escape from the rough demands of being a basketball superstar.
"You can say if that's a problem or not, or judge him, but I don't judge him," Brick said. "The guys who made the money and enjoyed the gambling, it gave them a way to escape from the game and the grind. Michael is a normal dude if he's in a safe environment, and he creates the safe environment."
Even today, haters continue to lambast the Chicago Bulls icon for his gambling obsession. Maybe they should all quit it. It's his money and his time he's using anyway. Just let the man live his life.
Related: Frank Brickowski talks about his time in the NBA: “When I came to the league, all I could do was beat people up, just bang”
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