Former Mobster Michael Franzese Opens Up About Michael Jordan's Competitive Streak

ParallelDesk 12:55:43 PM, 27 April 2023

Michael Jordan has always been known for his competitive nature, both on and off the basketball court. The NBA legend would often gamble, play in the casino, golf, or pick-up basketball games with other NBA stars. But despite rumors that he had a gambling problem, former mobster Michael Franzese recently revealed that this was not the case. In a recent interview with Vlad TV, Franzese talked about the nature of betting and why people do it. He referenced Jordan's recent interview about gambling and explained why the NBA legend was not addicted to it. "Michael Jordan said something very interesting recently in one of his interviews," Franzese said. "They asked him if he had a gambling problem, and he said 'no, I don't.' He said 'I have a competition problem.' In Michael's case, that's correct. The losses don't affect his lifestyle in any way shape or form. ... So he doesn't have a gambling problem." Jordan's competitiveness was on a different level than anyone else in the NBA. Even Kobe Bryant, who is considered to be a close second when it comes to competitiveness, only applied his competitive nature to basketball. Jordan, on the other hand, applied it to his everyday life. During team practice, he would go as far as to bully his teammates for not beating him. There were instances when he would place bets whenever he'd play pick-up basketball with other NBA stars. Golf was another hobby that Jordan loved, but he couldn't resist the urge to always raise the stakes by placing bets during his golfing sessions with friends. However, as the Chicago Bulls legend said previously, he didn't gamble for the money. He just loved raising the stakes so that his opponents would take the competition more seriously. While some people assumed that Jordan had a gambling problem, Franzese believes that former NBA player Charles Barkley is the one who truly had an addiction. Despite Barkley denying his betting addiction, Franzese believes otherwise, especially considering the fact that the NBA legend once lost $10 million. For Franzese, losing that amount of money is a clear indication of addiction. In conclusion, while Michael Jordan enjoyed competition and raising the stakes, he was not addicted to gambling. His competitive nature spilled over into his personal life and he simply loved to win, regardless of what he was playing. Jordan remains one of the greatest NBA players to ever grace the court and his competitive streak will forever be synonymous with his name.