Gary Lineker recalls brilliant story of playing golf with Michael Jordan and losing money to Chicago Bulls legend and star of ‘The Last Dance’
Gary Lineker has recounted a great tale involving basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Jordan has been back in the spotlight since the release of the popular Netflix documentary series The Last Dance, which centres around his final 1997/98 season with the Chicago Bulls.
And after the series received praise from Lineker on Twitter, he told a brilliant story which highlighted the 57-year-old’s love of a bet as well as his confidence.
The ex-England and Barcelona striker and his friend ‘Queeny’, a former European tour player, hosted Jordan, four basketball players and Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson at the Sunningdale club in Berkshire.
The proposal for a wager was brought up by ‘Queeny’ as he asked Jordan how much he wanted to bet, with MJ giving a cool reply.
Lineker recalled: “I just watched episode 8 of the wonderful The Last Dance. Thought I’d share the story of the day I played golf with Michael Jordan. It was a Thursday night & I got a call from my agent. He said ‘I’ve had Michael Jordan’s people on the phone and he wants to play at Sunningdale’.
“I was a member so he thought I could help. He said ‘There’s 3 of them: Michael and 2 of his basketball friends and they want to play on Sunday’. I said ‘if it’s a Sunday they can’t play without a member, but I can host them (too f***ing right, I could).
“So Saturday night I get a call from my agent, ‘There’s now 6 of them, 2 more friends and Samuel L Jackson’. ‘Shit, I’ll need to find another member to play with the other 3. I’ll call my friend, Queeny (former European tour player and Sunningdale member), I’m sure he’ll help’.
“Thankfully he was free and available. I turned up at 8.30am. Keith, the club pro said ‘Your guests have arrived, they’re on the putting green.’ There they were, 6 of them, 5 giant basketball players and Samuel L Jackson ambling around, putting and smoking cigars.
“The observing, quintessentially white elderly members were wide-eyed. We introduced ourselves and headed to the 1st tee. Now my mate Queeny liked a bet on the golf course and was a bit of a hustler. So we’re all stood there and Queeny says in his slightly posh voice….
“‘So Michael would you like bet, a little wager?’ Michael says ‘Sure, man.’ Queeny says ‘So how much would you like to play for?’ Michael puffs on his cigar, looks straight at him, smiles and says ‘Whatever makes you feel uncomfortable, man’.
“Mr Jordan had already won the day.”
Lineker revealed he lost the bet to Jordan, which cost him around £100.
When asked about the amount of money that was on the line, Lineker said: “Minuscule by Michael Jordan standards, I imagine. Hundred quid or thereabouts and it was one of his easier slam dunks. He was delightful company by the way.”