Michael Jordan: Original Gambler

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In an exclusive interview with 60 Minutes airing on Sunday, former basketball great Michael Jordan admits that his gambling got a little out of control at times. ESPN reports that Jordan admits Yeah, I’ve gotten myself into [gambling] situations where I would not walk away and I’ve pushed the envelope.”

“It’s very embarrassing … one of the things you totally regret. So you look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I was stupid.’ ”

But, of course, this story is rather vague. For further investigation into his gambling problem, check out the story that the crackpot firestarting journalists at Disinformation ran a few years ago:

Michael Jordan craved competition. It was this passion that led to his compulsive gambling. He gambled on just about anything. While at North Carolina, he used to bet fellow players sodas or small amounts of money on free throws or games of “Horse.” Although not necessarily sanctioned by the team, it went largely ignored. These activities carried on into the pros, and with the huge influx of money, the stakes steadily increased. He played poker with his teammates on road trips and was known to be quite the shark. Bulls coaches would warn the younger players not to play poker with him – he was that good. He even gambled on the outcome of video games. [1] But it was golf, his second passion, which proved to be his downfall.