In the wake of the hit documentary series The Last Dance, everyone seems to be coming out with their favorite Michael Jordan stories. Just on GOLF.com, Charles Barkley shared some insight into the type of gambling Jordan was keen to on the course, while Greg Norman spoke on the basketball superstar’s unrivaled drive and passion. There are few secrets left about Jordan, but such is life as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Though he didn’t make his mark on the game of golf like he did on basketball, we’ve still spilled plenty of ink on this site regarding Jordan‘s golf feats. But just when it seemed as though the Jordan golf stories were completely exhausted, former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon joined GOLF’s Subpar and shared his favorite personal tale about the legend.
Back when both McMahon and Jordan were Chicago sports stars, the two went out to the Merit Club for a friendly round. Or at least as friendly as a golf match with Jordan could be, meaning there was some cash on the line.
“We were playing $100 Nassau — a good bet for me,” McMahon said. “I had little kids at the time … I wasn’t making a lot of money.”
McMahon played well on the front nine and had Jordan down “two or three bets on the front.” As McMahon prepared to hit his tee shot on No. 10, Jordan decided to raise the stakes.
“He said, ‘Alright, I’ll play you this side for a million,” McMahon said. “I said, Dude I would love to, because right now, I’m kicking your ass, but something would happen and I would lose this back nine and my kids don’t go to college.”
McMahon conceded that they could keep bumping up the $100 bet, if Jordan so pleased. The day ended with McMahon taking the pot on the golf course, but Jordan bested his compadre on the pool table later that night.
“He’s a pretty good pool player, too,” McMahon said. “He just loves to gamble.”
That may be the understatement of the century. Check out the full episode of Subpar below.
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