One of Michael Jordan's many passions, outside of basketball, is sporting gambling.
A well-known fanatic of gambling, he used to go to casinos the night before games to clear his mind and relax. Jordan was an avid gambler. Old rumors suggested his ties to gambling were concerning, but that's merely speculation.
But still, when it comes to his bets, you hope not to screw with them. That's what New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman learned before the 2015 Super Bowl.
"We're playing the Super Bowl 2014 (the Super Bowl was in 2015, but it was the 2014-15 season)," Edelman starts on the "Games with Names" podcast. "The week before the Super Bowl I took my folks to dinner. And I roll up and I see Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan. I'm like super star-struck. I'm about to play in the Super Bowl.
"And I go up and you can tell Jeter's a very charming guy, welcoming. I go 'Mr. Jeter, I'm Julian Edelman I'm playing in the Super Bowl.' I saw Jordan and he was kind of like standoff-ish a little bit. And as soon as the conversation's about to end, like five minutes in and I'm about to leave, Jordan comes up to me and he goes 'Hey kid, I got a bunch of money on you. Don't f--- it up.'
"And that's the only thing he said to me."
NBA
Classic MJ. Luckily, the Patriots went on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, 28-24.
If Jordan had any bets on Edelman, too, they likely paid off. Edelman caught nine passes for 109 yards and one touchdown. Tom Brady threw for 328 yards and a whopping four touchdowns.
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Did Jordan's words have any effect on Edelman's play? That's a question I'd like to know the answer to.
