© Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
How Michael Jordan tricked Scottie Pippen into betting on jumbotron races
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Michael Jordan's reputation as a competitor is both legendary and notorious. His penchant for winning at all costs has led to some of the most amazing performances in NBA history. However, his teammates have often borne the brunt of his competitive drive. In one particularly infamous incident, Jordan took advantage of his teammate Scottie Pippen's competitive nature to get him to bet on a Jumbotron race.
Pre-recorded race
The story was told by ESPN's Amin Elhassan, who shared that part of the festivities during the Chicago Bulls home games included these animated bull races shown on the Jumbotron. Jordan caught wind that these were pre-recorded and proceeded to get the info from the arena staff as to which bull was winning.
Not one to shy away from a challenge or an opportunity to make some money, Jordan then used the info against Pippen. And so, whenever the animated races would go on the Jumbotron, Jordan would sidle up to Pippen and bet a hundred bucks or so on which bull would come in first. Well, as you can imagine, Jordan won every single time. He did this all season long and made quite a bit of money from Pippen.
This is just one example of Jordan's notorious competitiveness and how it sometimes led him to take advantage of his teammates. While it may seem funny in retrospect, at the time, Pippen was probably not too happy about being taken for a ride by Jordan. Nevertheless, it's another example of how Jordan's will to win was sometimes unmatched.
Dynamic duo
The anecdote, of course, did little to dissuade Pippen from being one of Jordan's most loyal allies. The two formed one of the most dynamic duos in NBA history and led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s. Their on-court partnership is the stuff of legends, and their off-court friendship is equally well-known.
It's hard to stay mad at someone when you're winning NBA titles left and right. So, while Jordan may have taken advantage of Pippen on the Jumbotron bet, it's clear that their bond was never truly broken during their historic run. To this day, these two are considered to be the two of the greatest players in the history of the Bulls franchise.
