The first five episodes of ESPN's documentary on the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, "The Last Dance," often cast Michael Jordan as nearly invincible _ conqueror of villains (Isiah Thomas, the Bad Boys) and a worldwide basketball celebrity who could prompt even Larry Bird to gush that the guard was really "God disguised as Michael Jordan."
The sixth episode, which aired Sunday, examined the ways that competitiveness manifested itself off the court.
You don't think Jordan liked to gamble? Want to bet?
Gambling stories are as interwoven with Jordan's career as those of his six NBA championships, forever linking him to high-stakes golf wagers, late nights in Atlantic City and fueling a conspiracy theory _ which is just that, a conspiracy theory _ that an image-conscious NBA nudged Jordan into his first retirement, in 1993, following league investigations into money he owed to cover gambling losses.
Jordan, in the documentary, says his addiction was to competition, not betting, but previous episodes of "The Last Dance" have already shown how the two mixed. After a Super Bowl victory by the Denver Broncos, Jordan, on a team plane, is seen telling teammates to pay up. And just after he entered the NBA, Scottie Pippen recalled that Jordan purchased him a new set of golf clubs, a gift disguised as a means for Jordan to take Pippen's money on the course.
But Sunday's episode goes deeper on Jordan's gambling. Here's a primer on that history:
