[QUOTE=9512]Why would Jordan be suspended for gambling?
[/QUOTE]
If he were betting on NBA games, or perhaps even betting on his own team to win, then he would definitely be suspended from the NBA.
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[QUOTE=9512]Why would Jordan be suspended for gambling?
[/QUOTE]
If he were betting on NBA games, or perhaps even betting on his own team to win, then he would definitely be suspended from the NBA.
[QUOTE=iamgine]Meh, the league was way bigger than any single player. In fact, attendance went up the following year. Stern knew it would be just fine with or without MJ. Kinda like if Lebron retire after the season.[/QUOTE]
I don't think anyone thought MJ was going to stay away from bball. I was like 11 and I knew he wasn't gone for good. The whole thing was a huge joke, covering his bball games. I lived in IL.
But the truth is if MJ really retired, it would have been some dark days for the NBA. It was basically ALL MJ at that time. There were other players, but nobody they could put into that face of the NBA role.
-Smak
[QUOTE=bdreason]If he were betting on NBA games, or perhaps even betting on his own team to win, then he would definitely be suspended from the NBA.[/QUOTE]
Double post. I disagree with this. I think the only reason gambling is prohibited is because of point shaving. If someone was betting on wins and covering the spread, that would not affect anyone. I think it has much more to do with underplaying that "overplaying."
That's the fear among the suits... getting guys who understand the betting thing and playing for spread. Even NOT betting on the game and playing with the spread is a big deal.
-Smak
[QUOTE]In 1992, after winning his second championship, Jordan was called to testify in the criminal trial of James Bouler to explain why why Bouler, a convicted drug dealer, was in possession of a Jordan-signed personal check for $57,000.
First, Jordan claimed it was a business loan, but under oath he admitted that it was a payment for on gambling losses for a single weekend.
Then, in early 1993, San Diego businessman Richard Equinas revealed in his book Michael and Me: Our Gambling Addiction...My Cry for Help that he had won over $900,000 from Jordan in golf betting.
Around the same time, MJ was spotted in an Atlantic City casino in the early hours on the morning of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the Bulls won their third championship, the NBA launched an investigation into Jordan's gambling problems to check whether he had violated any league rules. Then, four months later Jordan stunned the world by suddenly retiring from professional basketball.
At the press conference when he was asked if he would ever return he said, " Five years down the road, if the urge comes back, if the Bulls will have me, if David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back."
Now why in the world would Jordan ever say if David Stern lets him back, then maybe he would come back when the reporter didn't mention Stern's name at all in his question?
Only days after Jordan announced his retirement, the league dropped its investigation, saying he did nothing wrong (I guess betting numerous amounts on sports isn't wrong then).
Was there a secret agreement between Jordan and Stern where Stern told him to simply retire and create a distraction so that he wouldn't face a suspension and have his huge marketable name stay clean?
The distraction occurred when Jordan then decided to play minor league baseball in the White Sox organization, even though he would've had trouble hitting a beach ball, yet alone a baseball. In 102 games with the Barons, Jordan had a .202 average along with 3 homers, 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, and a .555 OPS.
Also, in the much respected book Money Players Days and Nights Inside the New NBA by Armen Keteyian, it states that in 1993, the league had an interview with Richard Equinas during their investigation on Jordan's gambling. He said that in March of 1992, he overheard a telephone conversation Jordan was having with an unknown person.
During the conversation, he heard Jordan talking about a betting line, "So you say the line is seven points." The game MJ was talking about isn't known, but the accusations are extremely serious as that means if Jordan was indeed betting on sports, he was breaking a sacred, unwritten rule for all professional athletes, as that is against the integrity of the game.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://bleacherreport.com/articles/131997-mjs-1st-retirement-was-it-a-secret-suspension[/url]
[QUOTE]Here is the untold story of the real reasons why Michael Jordan retired from the NBA in 1993, according to sports writing legend Jack McCollum of Sports Illustrated:
October 6, 1993. Not what you
I saw an interview in 1999 where they told Stern about how much MJ impacts the game and how an average nationally televised game featuring MJ got about 2.5 million more viewers than an average nationally televised game without the Bulls in it. He basically tried to ignore it, and just said that he wasn't aware of those numbers.
I don't think he likes the idea of one player having so much influence on the success of the league. He wants to make it seem like his league is great on its own, and would be okay if the top super-star wasn't there anymore.
How many--if any--all-time greats in basketball, or any sport, retired in the midst of their physical peak? MJ was 29, part of a a three consecutive championships dynasty--and he retires 2 days before training camp begins (thereby forcing his team to look to the Italian League to find a scrub to play SG)?
Let's look at Bill Simmon's top 96 of all-time.
Level 1
96. Tom Chambers
95. Jo Jo White
94. Jack Twyman
93. Kevin Johnson
92. Bob Lanier
91. Dwight Howard
90. Chris Paul
89. Shawn Kemp
88. Gail Goodrich
87. Connie Hawkins
86. Arvydas Sabonis
85. Robert Horry
84. Cliff Hagan
83. Vince Carter
82. Chris Mullin
81. Dave Bing
80. Bailey Howell
79. Bobby Dandridge
78. Paul Westphal
77. Dan Issel
76. Artis Gilmore
75. Tracy McGrady
74. Joe Dumars
73. Sidney Moncrief
72. Chris Webber
71. Lenny Wilkens
70. David Thompson
69. Dennis Rodman
68. Pete Maravich
67. Earl Monroe
66. Adrian Dantley
65. Alex English
64. Jerry Lucas
63. Ray Allen
62. Reggie Miller
Level 2
61. Bob McAdoo
60. Nate Archibald
59. Robert Parish
58. Bernard King
57. Tommy Heinsohn
56. Paul Arizin
55. Dominique Wilkins
54. Paul Pierce
53. Dwayne Wade
52. Dennis Johnson
51. Bill Sharman
50. Dolph Schayes
49. Elvin Hayes
48. James Worthy
47. Billy Cunningham
46. Hal Greer
45. Dave DeBusschere
44. Nate Thurmond
43. Clyde Drexler
42. Jason Kidd
41. Wes Unseld
40. Gary Payton
39. Patrick Ewing
38. Steve Nash
37. Dirk Nowitzki
Level 3
36. George Mikan
35. Kevin McHale
34. George Gervin
33. Sam Jones
32. Walt Frazier
31. Dave Cowens
30. Willis Reed
29. Allen Iverson
28. David Robinson
27. Bill Walton
26. Rick Barry
25. John Stockton
Level 4
24. Scottie Pippen
23. Isiah Thomas
22. Kevin Garnett
21. Bob Cousy
20. LeBron James
19. Charles Barkley
18. Karl Malone
17. Bob Pettit
16. Julius Erving
15. Kobe Bryant
14. Elgin Baylor
13. John Havlicek
The Pantheon
12. Moses Malone
11. Shaquille O’Neal
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
9. Oscar Robertson
8. Jerry West
7. Tim Duncan
6. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Bill Russell
1. Michael Jordan
How many of these players retired at their peak?
I think MJ being suspended would be too good a story to keep secret for this long, but the fact that, as far as I know, there is no comparable instance of a great player in any sport deciding to retire at his peak (even if there is, surely there can't be more than a couple others) raises serious red flags--and then he didn't retire in the summer. He waited until the very last minute--October--to retire. These are red flags that raise questions.
And how many players reached the echelon that Michael did becoming the most famous person in the WORLD, and also dealing with their father (who was by all accounts his rock) being murdered?
Again, aside from rank speculation there has never been any hardcore EVIDENCE that he was suspended, and so the talk is meaningless. Anyone can make up a conspiracy theory.
Btw, you're a clown but I do like that you have Kobe ranked about right.
[QUOTE=Roundball_Rock]
I think MJ being suspended would be too good a story to keep secret for this long, but the fact that, as far as I know, [B]there is no comparable instance of a great player in any sport deciding to retire at his peak [/B](even if there is, surely there can't be more than a couple others) .[/QUOTE]
Just off the top of my head, I can think of two:
Jim Brown - Football
Bjorn Borg - Tennis
I am sure there are plenty of other good examples.
Just thought of another: Barry Sanders
round ball rock's "bill Simmons list"
looks pretty good to me.
However I still have issues seeing DR.J below some guys , because he impacted how players play as well as the league.
SHOWING the value that rings is not everything when it comes to the top baller's in the history of the sport.
Which will always bring up to question who is the pure est' bball player is history , and Big O always claimed the best...
7 years from now the stats and rings that surround Bron may prove differently.
Just be thankful we are witnessing so many great players