Michael Jordan Hands Tracy McGrady $20,000 After Roy Jones Fight

Tracy McGrady recalled on a recent podcast that Michael Jordan once handed him "a bag of $20,000" after losing a bet on a Roy Jones Jr. vs. Antonio Tarver fight. McGrady says MJ called him over at the club, said "You got me," and paid in cash. The moment fits the familiar image of Jordan as a fierce competitor who settles scores with money and presence. Merlin sees the scene as part of Jordan lore: high stakes, public bravado, and stories that grow sweeter with time. McGrady keeps a neat trophy of a night he beat MJ at his own game, while Jordan’s Atlantic City gambling escapade before a 1991 playoff game reminds fans that risk never left him. More backstage tales will keep arriving as teammates and rivals tell their versions.