What made Michael Jordan quit basketball?
Michael Jordan is a basketball legend, an idol for generations, a desirable man for many women, and an excellent financier. The man may seem perfect by earthly standards, but the entire image is based on a major sin, one that nearly fatalized the athlete – gambling addiction.
Of course, true fans are still careful not to believe that their idol could have any vice. But if the outward appearance is so perfect, it does not mean that there are no flaws behind the canvas.
Reason No. 1
The reality is that Jordan is a gambler and it has worked to his detriment more than once. Nevertheless, this vice has not succeeded in blotting out his success, despite the attempts of numerous jealousies. But the fact remains, and the evidence is overwhelming. Michael is a frequent visitor to establishments where gambling is celebrated. He has visited the respective venues in huge numbers. His persona has been spotted ranging from Las Vegas to Atlantic City.
Yet despite his frequent visits to such establishments, Jordan managed to ‘crush’ opponents on the basketball court. In the 1980s and ’90s he managed to undercut some of the biggest names in the field. He was a virtuoso passer, made the most impressive shots, and is legendary for his basket attempts. With his help, the Chicago Bulls added significantly to their record collection, and wins with Michael’s participation have been a literal constant.
Reason No. 2
It would seem that Jordan’s career had gathered momentum and was capable of achieving even more. But suddenly the athlete announced his retirement, which came as a shock to the public. The official version of this decision was fatigue. It was triggered by the ’92 Olympics and a loss of passion for what he loved. The last straw was the tragic death of his father, which completely threw the athlete off balance. Sounds pretty convincing, in fact he was believed. But despite this, the main reason was something else.
Reason No. 3
The first major problems came after the interrogation of drug dealer James Buehler. The latter was found in possession of a cheque, signed by Jordan, for a substantial sum. While at first it sounded like some kind of loan, it turned out to be just repayment of a gambling debt. Businessman Richard Ekinas contributed. In his book “Michael & Me”, he recounted a situation where a basketball player had lost a game to him and owed him $900,000.
Reason No. 4
As the scandal slowly began to die down, Jordan was caught in a casino in Atlantic City. What’s more, the basketball star was entertaining himself in it on the morning of the day he was due to play an important game – the Eastern Conference Finals. Moreover, according to the data provided by witnesses, the athlete has lost a decent amount of money in blackjack. Of course, despite the morning’s amusement, Jordan still brought victory to his team during the game. Except that the NBA still decided to investigate his affairs.
The upshot of Michael’s secret addictions was that he suddenly decided to end his basketball career. This came as a shock, especially when he went into baseball. His late father was known to have dreamed of his son becoming a baseball legend. Except this was clearly not Michael’s game. He was performing even worse each time than the last, especially given his success in basketball. As it turned out, the decision to end Jordan’s career beautifully, albeit prematurely, was made in conjunction with David Stern. David managed to pull it off so beautifully that Michael remains a basketball legend and an idol for millions.