Michael Jordan took pride in establishing himself as the most dominant force in whatever activity he pursued, consistently challenging others to match his level of excellence. This competitive nature wasn't only confined to the basketball court but extended to the golf course, where he frequently bested his NBA peers. However, the dynamics shifted when the six-time Finals MVP faced the former PGA Tour pro - Keegan Bradley, for whom His Airness was nothing less than a human ATM.
Keegan Bradley on Michael Jordan
Upon finally retiring from the NBA, Mike maintained his competitive spirit, merely redirecting his relentless attitude toward golf. While the 14-time All-Star kept his competitive juices working through that avenue, Bradley approached their matchups with a different perspective. Moreover, he managed to extract such a significant amount from Jordan's billion-dollar net worth that Keegan comfortably squared up against him whenever he looked to make a huge sum.
It was always well-established that Mike refused to engage in a competitive matchup without betting a certain amount of money. So, any contest against the Chicago Bulls legend was a high-risk-high-reward situation. During his appearance on ESPN's SVP and Russillo's podcast, Bradley elaborated on how he capitalized on Jordan's predilection for wagering.
"That's the beautiful part about it. That's why I love playing with him. I call him my human ATM. I can just go out there if I need some cash. I just call up [him] that day. But he really is a good player," Bradley said as quoted by Sports Casting. "The fun part about playing with him is that he's always in your ear."
Jordan was used to raising the stakes
It wasn't just Bradley against whom MJ was encouraged to raise the stakes. According to another PGA Tour pro, Rickie Fowler, Mike never hesitated, regardless of the amount of money at play.
"Those are some of the best preps for going out and being ready to play tournament golf," Fowler said. "He'll play you for whatever you want. Whatever makes you scared."
It is fair to state that although Jordan engaged in high-stakes golf games primarily for the thrill, yet there were some golfers who managed to fill their pockets by capitalizing on his competitiveness.
