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Oblivious Michael Jordan, Who Nearly Gave Up $1,500,000,000+ for a Car, Once Gambled His Own Ferrari Just to Get Back at Jamal Crawford

Published 04/08/2023, 4:46 PM EDT

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NBA legend and billionaire businessman Michael Jordan is well known for spending his vast fortune on gambling. From friendly competition for money on the golf course to national gambling scandals, the Chicago Bulls legend has done it all. The billionaire’s penchant for gambling is well-documented in the NBA archives. Former NBA star Jamal Crawford once revealed a similar story, involving a Ferrari and a Mercedes.

Though his vast fortune started from his endorsement deal with Nike, many do not know that the six-time champion almost did not sign with the brand. Interestingly, the reason behind that was a luxury car and so is the reason behind the Crawford wager.

Jamal Crawford revealed friendly wager with Michael Jordan

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Former NBA player Jamal Crawford confirmed rumors about Jordan’s appetite for making bets during friendly competitions. He shared a story from his training days with the legend. 

USA Today via Reuters

The two have had a history of making bets during training to motivate each other. While the normal stakes for their shooting contests extended to a thousand dollars or five at most, a lost bet hurt Jordan enough to raise the stakes even higher. 

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His Airness wagered the cars the duo drove to training that day in favor of whoever shot five consecutive three-pointers. Crawford maintains this was all to get back at him for winning the last bet.

He asked which car I’d come in to training, I replied ‘In a Mercedes’, he then said ‘I came in a Ferrari, shall we play for it?’“, Crawford recalled.

Jordan of course won the bet by shooting all his three-pointers and winning his protege’s Mercedes. 

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Air Jordans almost did not happen

While the Jordan brand is a household name today, MJ”s famous sneaker deal with Nike almost did not happen. The legend in his rookie years stated that he would sign a deal with any brand for life that was willing to buy him a red Mercedes 380 SL, except for Nike. It was his mother Deloris who encouraged and convinced him to, at the very least meet, with the brand and listen to their arguments.

And we all know what happened after that.

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What do you think about His Airness’s betting habit and his love for cars?

WATCH THIS STORY: “Get a Non Cry Baby Driver”: Billionaire Nascar Team Owner Michael Jordan’s Latest Surprise Leads to Fans Ruthlessly Taking Down Bubba Wallace

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Written by:

Ishpreet Kaur

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Ishpreet Kaur is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in Arts from the University of British Columbia, Ishpreet has developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of storytelling and writing. Her passion for the Toronto Raptors and their championship run in 2019 is evident in her writing, but she also brings a unique perspective to her coverage of the NBA as a whole.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder