Michael Jordan’s level of competition has no limits. Whatever the circumstances, he always had the drive to win. This would even go so far as to learn how to do sudoku puzzles for a meager $500 wager with Estee Portnoy, his business manager. Jordan has an innate desire to excel in every endeavor.
Wright Thompson emphasizes the depth of Michael Jordan‘s competitiveness in his ESPN piece “Michael Jordan Has Not Left The Building.” Nobody had the same competitive fire that Jordan had on the basketball floor. In the NBA Finals, he went unbeaten and never let a series go to Game 7.
The six-time champion’s obsession with victory was so well-known that he even supplied Thompson a quote for his piece.
Jordan stated: “I can’t help myself. It’s an addiction. You ask for this special power to achieve these heights, and now you got it and you want to give it back, but you can’t. If I could, then I could breathe,”
Jordan while gambling, right after getting swept in back-to-back years by the Celtics:
“This is fun!… We just lost to the Boston Celtics, but guess what? I’m winning!”
What would media do to LeBron if he did this? pic.twitter.com/62NYTVy2mx
— Sports Central (@CarmeloJreal) January 9, 2024
Michael Jordan and his gambling
Jordan had no other means of expression but winning. Jordan found himself in hot water off the court due to his infamously competitive attitude. The six-time NBA champion was criticized for his excessive gambling on several occasions.
As was the case in his early Chicago days, MJ would resort to the casinos if he was unable to achieve success on the court. After the Bulls lost to the Celtics in the first round of the 1987 playoffs, marking the second consecutive year that Boston swept Chicago, Jordan immediately turned to gambling in an attempt to find a way to win.
In addition to earning him the title of best basketball player of all time, his winning mentality also made him a well-known gambler. But Jordan never saw it as an addiction to gambling; rather, it was a leisure activity.
Michael Jordan really had a gambling problem pic.twitter.com/El5ZzPxudG
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) July 18, 2024
It was no secret that Jordan was a proven winner in whatever he attempted. Jordan was sure he won the game of sudoku, even if it meant winning a $500 wager.
