During his time on the hardwood, Michael Jordan was known as a fearless competitor. Whether he was chasing a championship or simply hanging out in the locker room, the NBA legend wanted to win and wasn’t going to accept anything less.
Those standards, however, didn’t just apply to them and those on his team. His Airness also expects the best from those who he has money riding on. Allow former New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman to explain.
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Jordan Told Edelman Not to ‘F***’ the Super Bowl Up
From afar, professional athletes can seem like larger-than-life superheroes. And while it’s easy to think that playing in the NFL can remove that sense of awe, some names simply pack a punch.
For Edelman, Jeter and Jordan were two of those.
“We’re playing the Super Bowl, 2014,” the former Patriot remembered on his Games With Names podcast. “You know, you have the night off on Friday. Usually take your folks out the week before the Super Bowl. I took my folks to dinner. I went to go see them, and I roll up, and I see Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan. And I’m like super starstruck.”
The wideout went on to explain that he approached “Mr. Jeter,” and they had a brief conversation. And while the shortstop was “charming” and “welcoming,” Jordan kept his distance; Edelman remembered him as “kind of standoffish, a little bit.”
But His Airness eventually approached.
“As soon as the conversation’s about to end, like five minutes in, I’m about to leave, Jordan comes up to me,” the receiver added. “He goes, ‘Hey, kid. I got a bunch of money on you. Don’t f*** it up.’ And that’s the only thing he said to me.”
And while that interaction does sound jarring—Edelman remembered simply replying “Yes sir, Mr. Jordan,” because he didn’t know what else to say—it does mesh with what we know of MJ. Beyond his fiery will to win, the NBA star was no stranger to gambling. If there was a chance to prove he was the best, he was going to take it.
“I can stop gambling,” Jordan said in a 1993 interview with Connie Chung that was featured in The Last Dance. “I have a competition problem, a competitive problem.”
Newsweek reached out to Jump Management via email to see if Jordan had any recollection of Edelman’s version of events.
Without knowing exactly what wagers Jordan placed, it’s safe to assume that Edelman and the Patriots did their part.
The receiver pulled in nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown during Super Bowl XLIX (which technically took place in 2015, but it came at the conclusion of the 2014 campaign), and the Patriots secured a 28-24 victory thanks to a now-infamous final play call.
As documented by CBS Sports, the Seahawks actually started out as the favorite in the big game, but bets on the Patriots pushed things to a “pick’em.” Even if Jordan bet after bookmakers started favoring New England, Edelman and his teammates still covered the spread.
And, of course, it’s possible that he placed an early-season wager on the Patriots and simply needed New England to win the Super Bowl to cash in.
Either way, though, it seems like Edelman did his part. When you have Michael Jordan, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady all expecting you to seal the deal, you’re not going to take it easy.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
