Michael Jordan, Who Played Cards On Bulls Plane For Thousands Of Dollars, Once Asked John Paxson If He Could Play Blackjack With Him For $1 A Hand Because He Wanted To Say ‘I Got Your Money In My Pocket’

NBA icon Michael Jordan played cards for a lot of money on Chicago Bulls flights with teammates. 

Will Perdue, who won three NBA titles with Jordan, said in Episode 6 of “The Last Dance” documentary that Jordan’s life was just one big competition.

Perdue, who was once punched in the face by Jordan, said Jordan once asked John Paxson if he could play blackjack with him even though Paxson was only playing for a dollar a hand. 

“Scottie [Pippen], Michael, Ron Harper would play cards in the back of the plane for major money,” Perdue said. “I’m talking thousands of dollars. And me, John Paxson, B.J. Armstrong would play blackjack in the front of the plane for a dollar a hand. He knows that we would never play with him in the back ’cause it’s just too much money, but he would come up to the front, he’s like, ‘What are you guys doing? You mind if I play?’

“I remember John Paxson looking at him and going, ‘Why in the hell do you want to play with us? We’re playing for a dollar a hand.’ I remember he looked at him and goes, ‘Because I wanna say I got your money in my pocket.’”

Jordan loved to gamble with his teammates during his 15-year NBA career. He would mainly bet on the golf course and during card games on the team plane.

One instance occurred when Jordan beat a Bulls player in a card game and won $17,000, but the defeated player didn’t have the money. Not only was Jordan angry, but he also forced his teammate to call his dad to get the funds.

In Sam Smith’s 2014 oral history of Jordan called “There Is No Next,” legendary Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach shared a story of Jack Haley losing $17,000 to Jordan during a card game on a flight from Chicago to LA. When the flight landed, Jordan demanded payment, but Haley said he didn’t have the money.

“Michael said, ‘Well, then you get it. You call Daddy Warbucks now.’ Daddy owns a restaurant,” Bach said, via Chicago Sports historian Jack M Silverstein. “Daddy had to meet him next morning and give him cash. Michael said, ‘Don’t f—ing play with me, Jack, if you can’t pay off. I don’t want your money, but you lost, and Daddy has to come with that money in cash.’ You better take Michael seriously.”

The Bulls went 6-0 in the NBA Finals during the ’90s thanks to Jordan, who averaged 33.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 35 Finals games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics and Utah Jazz.

Not only did Jordan win all six Finals MVPs, but he also never had to play in a Game 7.

We can’t confirm it since Jordan is extremely private, but odds are he still bets money on golf and card games. After all, his competitive spirit will never die.

Jordan is first in NBA history in points per game, fourth in steals, fifth in field goals and second in player efficiency rating. He holds the NBA record for most points (63) scored in a playoff game. 

Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He won five MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, six championships, six Finals MVPs, 10 scoring titles and three steals titles.