Is it possible that when your bank account grows to seven digits or more, a chemical activates in your brain? Where before you liked beer baseball, now you like sipping mint juleps in a private box at the Kentucky Derby?
So seems to be the case in the NBA. There are many pro basketball players with a well-known love for horse racing.
This passion is not only highly visible—watch this May as they squeeze their seven-foot frames into pastel blazers at the Kentucky Derby—but also completely authentic.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan has a well-documented love for sports betting—or simply games of chance.
Infamously, in 1991, he skipped the Bulls’ White House visit to play golf with a well-known professional gambler/hustler. He doesn’t just bet on his own game. Jordan loves to bet on horses—and follows the sport of racing closely. At one point, he even owned his own championship horse. Owning your own horse is the ultimate expression of wealth, right?
But the best Michael Jordan/horse racing story of all time happened at the Kentucky Derby. It’s said that he once decided on the day of the event—without any advanced planning at all—that he wanted to attend. He flew privately into Louisville, where he requested and received a police escort to Churchill Downs. There, his assistant tried with no luck to get last-minute tickets. Trying to get tickets the day of the Derby would have been like trying to find a seat at an NBA Championship featuring the 90s Bulls—at halftime.
But this is Michael Jordan we are talking about. Nothing could keep the GOAT from his horses. Here’s how Marc J. Spears, who was at the event, remembers things. “Like a god, Michael Jordan walked up. The guy at the VIP realized, ‘Oh my goodness, this is Michael Jordan. This wasn’t a joke.’ Michael casually asked, ‘Is there anything you can do?'”
Next thing you know, some suite…everybody got pushed out of the suite. They brought in new food, new drinks, and he got the suite he wanted. I don’t think he even paid for it!”
Nikola Jokić
Jokic is easily one of the best players in the NBA currently. When he isn’t dominating the league, however, Jokic prefers quieter pastimes. Growing up in Serbia, he developed a deep love for horses. So deep, in fact, that he now owns a stable in his home of Serbia where he personally tends to more than half a dozen horses during the off-season. It’s said that at one point, he even wanted to be a jockey. At 6’11, that would have made him the largest jockey of all time (we assume).
Still, he keeps a close eye on the world of racing. He frequently stops at tracks while he is on the road with the Nuggets. He’s even gone out of his way to meet up with his favorite jockeys.
Here’s how Tim Tetrick, a Hall of Famer in the world of harness racing, recalls their relationship.
“I was kind of shocked, to be honest. I was like, ‘What does the best basketball player in the world want to talk to me for, you know?’ But then I learned about his passion for what I do. We connected and became great friends, to this day. It’s kinda cool.”
This connection to horses provides Jokić with balance in his life, offering a peaceful counterpoint to the intensity of professional basketball. His family in Serbia has a long tradition of working with horses, giving him deep roots in equestrian culture from an early age. The NBA MVP often mentions that spending time with horses helps clear his mind and keeps him grounded despite his massive success.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Jokic’s fellow countryman, Bogdan Bogdanovic,shareses his passion for horse racing.
In fact, last year, Bogdanovic hoisted the trophy after Jokic’s horse, Amsterdam, won a race in his hometown of Sombor. They were also able to lift their bronze medals at the Olympics later last year when Serbia defeated Germany in the bronze medal game.
We Could Go On
We could. While most players don’t take their love of horses quite so far as Jordan or Jokić, you’ll frequently see NBA players at major events.
If you want to park your jet in the middle of the Kentucky Derby and be met with nothing but love and applause, your name better be Michael Jordan. And while you don’t need wealth to love horses as deeply as Jokic, you will need it to breed them at a ranch in Serbia.
Inaccessible? Sure. But there is still plenty of racing to be enjoyed by us regular folks. Remember that the game is about more than just the Triple Crown. Find events on television or online. Learn more about the different types of horse bets.
Maybe consider hosting a viewing party at your house. Horse racing is a sport and a culture all wrapped into one. Many of the most popular events have been going on since the 1800s. Be a part of something bigger than yourself. Love racing with the passion of an NBA player.
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