The hilarious reason Michael Jordan conceded a $1,000 putt to Charles Barkley

By: Zephyr Melton May 10, 2020

michael jordan and charles barkley laugh

Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley routinely played for $1,000 per hole in their matches.

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It’s no secret that Michael Jordan loves to gamble. The tales of his gambling — especially on the golf course — are the stuff of legend, and with ESPN’s hit series “The Last Dance” becoming a weekly touchstone for sports fans, Jordan’s legend only continues to grow.

Charles Barkley was present for plenty notable Jordan anecdotes, and on a recent episode of GOLF’s Subpar, the hall of famer added another story to the growing lore.

“We were playing golf one day, and I think we were playing for $1,000 a hole,” Barkley said. “And I was shaking over this putt. And he says, ‘That’s good.’ It was a good sized putt. He says, ‘Hey, you might step in my line. That putt is good.’”

When Barkley tried to protest with him over the significance of the putt, Jordan held firm and insisted he pick it up.

“I don’t want you standing in my line,” Jordan said.

With Barkley’s curiosity piqued, he asked his friend how much money was on the line for his putt. It turns out Jordan’s putt had a bit more dough on the line than a measly one grand.

“I said, ‘How much is that putt for?’” Barkley said. “He said, ‘$100,000.’ I said, ‘WHAT!’”

Hedging $1,000 for a smooth putting surface with $100,000 on the line doesn’t seem like that bad of an investment when you put it that way. Barkley didn’t say whether or not Jordan drained the putt or not, but judging by the clutch gene he displayed on the basketball court throughout his career, it’s fair to assume it turned out well for him. And if not? What’s another $100,000 to a man worth an estimated $2 billion?

The entire Subpar podcast will be available Tuesday on GOLF.com.