Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Basketball, Michael Jordan, NBA
Luke Davies
NBA icon Michael Jordan was once left ‘embarrassed’ in public by a former Olympian after tipping a waitress a mere $5m despite having a net worth of $3.5B, as reported by Forbes.
Jordan, 61, is widely regarded as the greatest of all-time (GOAT) by basketball fans after winning six NBA championships in a career which spanned 15 seasons between 1984 and 2003.
He even secured three consecutive crowns with the Chicago Bulls between 1996 and 1998.
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But Jordan has crossed over into popular culture like no other.
Aside from his exploits on the court, he has been involved with multiple business ventures and commercial deals – namely Nike’s ‘Air Jordan’ shoes, which were produced and released to the public in 1985.
However, he was once left red-faced by a former Olympic athlete when the pair were both in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Rich Strafella, a former VP of the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas, recited an interesting story about a time Jordan and ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky were gambling together in the city.
"I remember a night when Wayne Gretzky insulted Michael Jordan at the table," Strafella said.
Gretzky, 63, nicknamed “the Great One”, is regarded as the ice hockey GOAT, having played for four different clubs in 20 seasons between 1979 and 1999.
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"It was a private salon game," added Strafella.
"Michael had ordered a drink from the cocktail waitress, and he gave her a five-dollar chip.
"Wayne took it off the cocktail waitress's tray, gave it back to Michael, grabbed a hundred-dollar chip from Michael's stack and put it on the cocktail waitress's tray. Then he said, 'That's how we tip in Las Vegas, Michael.'"
However, Jordan has since shown that he is a lot more generous than Strafella’s story may suggest.
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According to reports from the Washington Post back in 2001, he donated a full year’s salary to a worthy charity.
"Jordan said he will donate his first year's salary to the victims of the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks,” read an article from the outlet at the time.
The basketball icon also works with several other charities, including ‘Make-a -Wish’ and the American Red Cross.