Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls legend, is remembered for a lot of things. A six-time NBA Champion, two three-peats in the NBA, 14-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA Finals MVP, and someone who bought sports achievements back to the city of Chicago. But in 1993, the six-time NBA Champion got tangled in a controversy that nobody would prefer to remember.

Michael Jordan debunked the controversy. He came out with his version of the story and took responsibility for his actions in an interview with Ahmad Rashad.

Michael Jordan debunked controversial gambling allegations

Richard Esquinas, Jordan’s friend at the time, claimed that he and Jordan were compulsive gamblers. And they used to gamble with insane amounts of money. All of this was revealed in his book titled “Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction…My Cry For Help!”.

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Richard Esquinas also claimed that Jordan lost over $1.25 million in wagers in golf. Such a statement was very controversial for the time, as Jordan was one of the biggest names in the NBA.

In 1993, Ahmad Rashad asked the six-time NBA Champion about the $1.2 Million wager controversy in an interview.

The Bulls legend explained how he felt that the number was “exaggerated” and added, “I felt I was betrayed by the individual, he considered himself a friend, I don’t consider him a friend cause’ friends don’t do that to other friends, and if… Let’s say I did have a problem, if he was such a friend I think he’d come up to me and say ‘Hey Michael, I think you got a problem’”

Throughout the interview, the six-time NBA Finals MVP emphasized the fact that if he were to have a gambling problem, his family and friends would be the first ones to remind him. And until that point, no one did. 

The five-time NBA MVP also explained that he was financially sound and was not gambling irresponsibly.

Jordan’s 1992-93 season

The 14-time NBA All-star was anything but fazed by these controversies getting in front of him. Jordan won his third consecutive NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls that year.

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The Bulls legend scored 32.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 5.6 APG in the 1992-93 season. He had another feather in his cap as he scored the 20,000th point of his career in the season.