Michael Jordan’s epic gambling prophecy after 36 holes of golf

Michael Jordan’s love of golf and gambling couldn’t get in the way of the NBA superstar fulfilling an absolutely incredible prediction.

Michael Jordan’s incredible gambling prophecy.

Michael Jordan was an absolute monster on the hardwood and he had the mouth to go along with his otherworldly abilities.

His intense trash talking wasn’t just for opponents and the basketball court. Teammates came under constant fire from the Chicago Bulls megastar and he carried it into everything he did. From table tennis to the poker table and the golf course, Jordan didn’t hold back.

Now comes the absolutely insane story from former NHL player Jeremy Roenick from way back in 1992.

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Jordan has an affinity for golf and his betting habits were always at the forefront so it’s only natural the two combined on this day with 36 holes against Roenick on the day of a game.

“‘Meet me at Sunset Ridge, early. We’re gonna go play 18 holes’” Roenick recalled Jordan saying.

“We played a round, I beat him for a couple thousand and got ready to leave … Now, the Bulls are playing that night. They played Cleveland that night. I’m thinking he’s leaving, it’s 10 o’clock. He goes, ‘No, let’s go play again.’

Michael Jordan in action with the Bulls. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport

“So we go and fill up a bag full of ice and Coors Light and walk again. We roll around another 18 and I take him for another couple (thousand dollars). Now we’ve been drinking all afternoon and he’s going from Sunset Ridge to the stadium, to play a game. I’m messing around. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna call my bookie. All the money you just lost to me, I’m putting on Cleveland.’

“He goes, ‘I’ll tell you what. I’ll bet you that we’ll win by 20 points and I have more than 40 (points).’ I’m like, ‘Done.’ Son of a gun goes out and scores 52 and they win by 26 points or something.

“After 36 holes of golf and having maybe like 10 Bud Lights. The man Michael Jordan to me is probably the best athlete I’ve ever seen and that I’ve ever been around.”

MJ once dropped 52 points on the Cavs after playing 36 holes and housing beers all day with @Jeremy_Roenick. 🐐pic.twitter.com/h4mHaYR2lF

— Corey Holloway (@CoreyRHolloway) November 8, 2019

A bit of research shows Roenick wasn’t correct with how he stated the outcome of the game played out. Jordan never scored 50+ points in a game where the Bulls won by 20+ points against the Cavaliers.

But on March 28, 1992, Jordan and the Bulls did take on the Cavaliers in Chicago and won the game 126-102 with arguably the game’s greatest player scoring 44 points.

So while Roenick may have been off on the final numbers, Jordan’s prediction after 36 holes of golf and countless beers well and truly delivered.

Jordan in action against the Cavaliers in 1992.

The tale from Roenick goes along with one from NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley who said Jordan’s gambling on the golf course was a sight to behold.

“Back when I would play it was pretty much even (between me and MJ),” he said. “But I tell you what, and I apologise to Michael for saying this ... we’d be playing golf with certain people on a couple of hundred dollars a hole. But he’d like to play for, like, $100,000,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show.

Barkley recalled a time when he was told to move out of the way for Jordan to take a putt for the small sum of $300,000.

“It was crazy, man. But I never understood why they were playing for that much.”

While incredulous at his former rival’s betting habits, Barkley admitted to fluttering a little too hard in Las Vegas with his NBA riches.

Jordan strolling the links.

“I developed that problem a few years ago. When I went to Vegas, I won a million dollars. I probably won a million dollars five times, but probably lost a million 25 (other times).

“I developed this thing where I had to win a million, so I quit gambling for two years. But when I was talking to my close friends I’d say: ‘Man, I really miss gambling’. And they’d tell me that I should but I just shouldn’t be an idiot.

“The key to being successful is to keep good people around you. My friend would say: ‘Dude, you’re just an idiot when you gamble’. So now when I go to gamble, I just do it to have fun.”