It’s always been a popular game with many different people – and that includes the rich and famous.
It turns out that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you do for a living, everyone loves to play a game of poker. Celebrities are well known for dropping lots of money on cars and houses, but a lot of them frequent the casinos as well.
We don’t know much about their online casino activity, but we do know that they like to be seen out and about at a land based casino. Today, we’ll be focussing on basketball players who love to play poker.
We’ll be taking you through a list of top NBA stars who also love to see if they can win at the poker tables. Let’s see how many you recognise – and who you’re most surprised about!
The most famous basketball player who is also a fan of poker is Michael Jordan. Even if you’re not into basketball, or any sport for that matter, chances are that you’ve heard of Michael Jordan.
Not to be confused with the actor Michael B Jordan, the basketball player Michael Jordan is legendary in his own right. He used to play for the Chicago Bulls and took them to victory many times in his years playing for them.
Jordan still has one of the most recognisable names in basketball – and even has a basketball shoe named after him. These shoes continue to be popular today and are the perfect shoe to look stylish as well as play basketball in.
What you might not be aware of is that Jordan is also a regular at the gaming tables. Poker is his casino game of choice and he’s seen his fair share of tournaments.
He was even involved with the World Series of Poker as an ambassador. Jordan has also been an ambassador for the Celebrity Invitational Poker Tournament showing that his passion goes beyond just playing himself.
His passion for gaming has been evident throughout his life, apparently making bets with teammates every chance he got. And when you’re one of the most prolific and moneyed basketball players in the world, why not?
Another prolific basketball player who loves a poker game or two is Charles Oakley. He played for the Knicks for 19 seasons, but also played for Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Houston Rockets. Having played for the Bulls, he’s known to have a very close friendship with Jordan, but we don’t know whether their friendship extended to the poker tables.
Oakley has been around the block when it comes to playing basketball, and he isn’t shy when it comes to talking about his love for casinos. He’s always been open about his gaming and mentions it frequently in interviews. Oakley brings a refreshing air of openness when talking about gaming which his fans appreciate.
One of his most entertaining stories is about losing a massive $50,000 to Jordan and Jay-Z while at MJ’s birthday party. Now that’s a party we wish we’d be invited to!
Antoine Walker is another associate of Jordan’s who is a fan of the poker tables. He played for Celtics, but in 2009, he started hitting the newspaper headlines for all the wrong reasons. Walker ended up getting himself into some financial difficulties when his gaming went south.
At one point, his losses are said to have racked up into the millions and beyond, which is a tricky place to return from. However, he has defied all the odds and created a programme dedicated to making sure young athletes don’t make the same mistakes that he did.
Walker is living proof that no matter how dark things seem, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. And we think it’s commendable that he’s trying his best to ensure the safety of others.
Tim Duncan is the final player on our list of NBA poker players. He’s well known for frequenting his local casinos and has been seen at a lot of poker tables. Duncan retired from the world of basketball in 2016 after playing for San Antonio Spurs for 19 seasons.
Gaming is his passion and he has done pretty well from his gaming – although the official figures haven’t been released to the public. It hasn’t all gone on himself though, as he’s well known for giving copious amounts of money to various charities, including a relief charity for hurricanes in his hometown of the US Virgin Islands.
It turns out that it’s not just us normal people who love poker, basketball players love a game too! Who are you most surprised about on this list?
