Former NBA star Vlade Divac was apparently fairly the winner throughout card-playing periods with teammates, however just lately he mentioned he didn’t really “win” any cash.
Instead, the previous Los Angeles Lakers heart would exchange favors for winnings after dominating teammates on the tables.
“Yeah, we play cards on our long flights, just try to kill time,” he informed Basketball Network. “But my teams, like, I play with the Lakers, I play with the Hornets, I play with the Kings, and then I came back and played with the Lakers,” Divac mentioned on Jay Mohr’s podcast. “So, all these groups have been profitable groups, so we have been very skilled … we didn’t do any loopy stuff, we have been specializing in the sport.
“About gambling … we played cards and I would win a lot of money, but my principle was never to take money from my teammates. So, I would find, if you lose the money, I would find a way, I said, ‘Jay, go do this and that,’ and we’re even. So that was my game.”
Poker Games And NBA Stars Go Hand-In-Hand
Card video games and playing are an everyday a part of life on the street for a lot of NBA groups, however not many gamers most likely took the identical plan of action as Divac. The method apparently helped the star construct camaraderie with teammates.
Divac went on to attain 13,398 factors, 9,326 rebounds, and 1,631 blocks in an NBA profession that additionally included stints with the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings.
Michael Jordan was additionally well-known for his poker periods. In 2024, former New York Knicks participant and ESPN commentator Mark Jackson spoke a couple of marathon recreation he performed with the Bulls legend.
Hellmuth Regrets Missing Poker Game With Jordan
In 2023, 17-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth detailed his personal missed alternative to play in opposition to Jordan. On the NESN Chicken Dinner Podcast, Hellmuth described assembly the six-time NBA champion and five-time league MVP a number of instances, one in every of which included a poker problem. Hellmuth needed to decline the supply on that event.
“He challenged me once and I didn’t have a lot of money in town,” Hellmuth mentioned. “I was stupid. I should have just called my friends and said, ‘Hey, (send me some money).’ And (Jordan) would have wanted to play until seven in the morning.”
Seven-time WSOP bracelet winner Josh Arieh bought an opportunity to play Jordan in 2021, however he didn’t benefit from the expertise.
“I grew up with Jordan being the end-all, the GOAT,” he informed Card Player’s Poker Stories podcast. “A good friend of mine known as me and requested if I needed to play golf with Jordan with some poker afterwards … and it was a depressing expertise. There have been most likely 15 carts of individuals following us round. He was simply this large, over-the-top alpha male.
“But then we played poker, and that was more my element, so I thought it was going to be different. But it wasn’t. The stupid jokes just kept on coming. Every time he said anything, even if it wasn’t remotely funny, the whole place would erupt into laughter. I didn’t enjoy it a bit.”
NBA Poker Scandals
Playing poker video games on the street is far completely different than a few of the allegations just lately levied in opposition to some NBA gamers and coaches. Former star and podcast host Gilbert Arenas was arrested final 12 months by federal authorities for allegedly working an unlawful playing scheme. He has pleaded not responsible.
Those unlawful playing operations allegedly included high-stakes poker video games at Arenas’ mansion in Encino, California.
In October, former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chuancey Billups was arrested by federal authorities for allegedly being a part of a high-stakes poker dishonest operation that was run by members of New York’s organized crime households. He has additionally pleaded not responsible to costs of cash laundering and wire fraud.
