The basketball icon Michael Jordan has long drawn attention for his gambling habits, one of the most talked-about aspects of his life off the court. Whether it was high-stakes golf matches, card games, or even NFL bets, he never shied away from putting serious money on the line. Former Patriot Julian Edelman recently shared how he unexpectedly witnessed that side of Jordan firsthand in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLIX.

“Michael Jordan grabs my hand and pulls me close and says, ‘Don’t f–k it up, kid; I got a lot on you tomorrow,” said Julian on the St Brown Podcast.

This interaction goes back to 2015, just two days before the high-stakes Super Bowl XLIX game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The former wide receiver went out for dinner with his family in Paradise Valley, Phoenix, the city that was hosting the Super Bowl that year.

To his surprise, he unexpectedly met the MLB legend Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan. While Julian had a great conversation with Derek, MJ did not engage in any formal conversation with him. Instead, the Chicago Bulls legend straight-up told him that his money was on the line in the game featuring Julian and sent him a warning not to lose the big game.

The WR and his team did not disappoint Jordan, as they lifted the Lombardi Trophy, beating the Seattle Seahawks by a 28-24 margin. With 328 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, Tom Brady became the MVP, but Julian’s role was crucial in that victory.

Out of the 12 targets, he had 9 catches, and he recorded 109 receiving yards and a touchdown. It turned out to be his best performance from all playoff games that season, as he secured his first Lombardi Trophy.

It was the Patriots’ fourth Super Bowl honor. Given that Jordan put his money on the franchise, he certainly got richer, though it was never publicly disclosed how much he won on that bet. Following that epoch-making win, Julian also added two more Super Bowl rings to his resume, and he recently discussed which one remains his favorite.

Julian Edelman talks about his favorite Super Bowl in his career

Two years after clinching his first Lombardi Trophy, Julian Edelman lifted his second in 2017, and then, after another two-year gap, his last and third Super Bowl came. While each Super Bowl carries different emotional values, the 39-year-old revealed the title triumph he considers his personal favorite.

“The Super Bowls are like kids. You don’t have a favorite,” Julian said in the same podcast. “The excitement of the first child or your first, you know, your first Super Bowl. You never felt that before. So, that’s insane. But you go to the second one, and we have the craziest comeback of all time in a Super Bowl. So, there’s a special spot on that. And then the third one, I get MVP. So, I started the year off with an ACL suspension. And it was the ultimate low place to get to the ultimate high.”

While he couldn’t pick his favorite Super Bowl win, he played a big part in each of them and was recognized as the big game player for Bill Belichick. His 23-yard catch at Super Bowl LI is often regarded as one of the greatest catches in history, giving a comeback opportunity to the Patriots.

On the other hand, the offensive production was dry in Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, where the score was 13-3. However, Julian stood out. With 10 catches and 141 receiving yards, he won the Super Bowl MVP award that year, making it one of the biggest achievements of his football career.