NBA
Michael Jordan Left Skip Bayless Breathless With Gambling Games After Practice
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
Get to know Jack Dougherty betterPublished25 Mar 2020
Professional sports may be postponed for the time being, but that isn’t stopping Skip Bayless from getting out his pro-Michael Jordan and anti-LeBron James takes to the world. Bayless recently started a series on Twitter called Skip Bayless Rides the Troller Coaster. He sat next to a pool in Miami and answered questions from fans of his show Undisputed on FS1.
One fan asked Skip about his time covering Jordan’s Bulls for the Chicago Tribune, and the Fox Sports personality told behind-the-scenes stories of Jordan winning gambling games after practices. He said writing for that Bulls team and watching Jordan was the most impactful time of his life.
Skip Bayless has always loved Michael Jordan
Skip Bayless is notorious for believing Michael Jordan is and always will be the greatest player of all time over LeBron James. If there was a club for those believers, Skip would be the president.
He has constantly echoed this take on his FS1 show and wherever else he can fit it in. Bayless might be a tad biased, as he did cover Jordan professionally while in Chicago. He saw firsthand the greatness Jordan showed on and off the court while with the Bulls.
Bayless recently called LeBron James a “phony GOAT” and that he “is playing strictly for career accolades.” James has three championship rings to Jordan’s six. He also has one less NBA MVP award than Jordan, so Skip can pound those comparisons into the ground until James catches up.
Skip Bayless said Jordan’s Bulls had more drama than the Cowboys
In his Twitter video response, Bayless said Michael Jordan’s Bulls had tons of drama involved from the front office to the court. He compared it to that of the Dallas Cowboys. Bayless also covered the Cowboys in his time as a sports writer.
“Jordan hated the GM Jerry Krause, who hated the head coach Phil Jackson and wanted to replace him with Tim Floyd. Phil Jackson hated the owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and it was just simply a soap opera beyond the Dallas Cowboys unlike any you could ever write about,” Bayless said.
Bayless went on to say what Jordan accomplished with everything going on behind the scenes was nothing short of incredible. He said he thanks God for getting to know Michael Jordan. Bayless fell “head over heels” for the Bulls legend.
Jordan was a frequent gambler with the Bulls and in the years after
Bayless said in his video that Michael Jordan would host gambling games after Bulls’ practices. He said Jordan would make blindfolded, left-handed foul shots for thousands of dollars on a regular basis. The gambling stories Bayless reminisced on took his breath away.
This probably wasn’t the first time Jordan made a bet with his teammates, and it sure wasn’t the last. One of his former teammates claimed Jordan liked to bet money on games of rock, paper, scissors. He estimated upwards of $100k was bet on the normally friendly game.
There are many stories of Jordan betting large amounts of money on golf matches, poker games, and even the team’s luggage. Jordan famously went to a casino the night before a playoff game against the New York Knicks one year.
The legend of Michael Jordan goes far beyond what the fans saw on the court. Skip Bayless’ fondest memory of the NBA legend wasn’t even from a game, but from a gambling memory after practice.
