Although his career was far from perfect, Michael Jordan had a storied and memorable career. In 1993, he was linked to a gambling problem, which was unwanted attention for the Chicago Bulls, who were slugging it out with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The whole issue popped up from a book written by Richard Esquinas titled, “Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction . . . My Cry for Help!” The book detailed how he and Jordan would have golf competitions that had wagers that allegedly amounted from $100,000 to $250,000.
Other than that, there were other gambling-related allegations against MJ. One of them was Jordan’s late-night, early trip to Atlantic City between Games 1 and 2. Michael would explain himself to Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause, stressing that he was back at their Manhattan hotel room by 1:00 a.m.
Setting boundaries
Considering Jordan’s popularity at the time, it was understandable that one issue like this would quickly catch the media’s attention. Hence, Bulls management would not be spared being hounded by reporters for their statement.
Krause, who didn’t have a great relationship with Jordan, addressed the matter as professionally as possible. He vowed that the Bulls organization would address the issue but also emphasized that Jordan’s private life is something that the North Carolina product will handle on his own.
“Michael Jordan’s private life is Michael Jordan’s private life. That’s important,” the Bulls executive stated.
Horrible timing
It was also a case of bad timing for the Bulls. They were preparing for an all-important Game 7 against the Knicks and did not want such negative publicity. Chicago tried to hold off the issue, focusing on a win and another trip to the NBA Finals.
When reporters got to the practice floor to try and get statements, Jordan and most of the players had already left. However, there was one player who was able to share something about the Michael Jordan gambling issue.
“I don’t know exactly what’s going on. I don’t know if any of that stuff is true. But to have your personal life always being thrown into books and into media all the time, I wouldn’t trade my salary for his to live like that,” Scott Williams said during that interview.
Williams went undrafted in 1990 but signed with the Bulls that year. He was used sparingly but was part of the Bulls’ first three-peat team (1991 to 1993).
As for Jordan, there are allegations that part of his decision to retire in 1993 was because of the stress caused by the gambling expose. Other than that, there was the death of his father that made life tough for 3rd overall pick of the 1984 Draft.
There remains no clarity on the real reason behind MJ’s decision to retire in 1993. The pressure may have been too much for Jordan then, which could push anyone over the edge.
Air Jordan returned in 1995 after taking a year off as he tried his luck in baseball. The break allowed MJ to refresh and continue his NBA journey. Most fans already know that after one season, Jordan was back to his old self, leading the Bulls to three more titles before retiring for a second time.