Stern Denies Jordan’s Gambling Is a Serious Problem for NBA

NBA Commissioner David Stern, in a halftime interview with NBC’s Bob Costas Sunday night, again said that he is satisfied that the latest gambling accusations against Michael Jordan are not a serious concern to the league.

After Costas wondered how it could not be a serious concern since the allegations made in a book by San Diego businessman Richard Esquinas involved large gambling debts owed by “the league’s highest profile player,” Stern retorted: “How much money do you owe?”

Said Costas: “It doesn’t matter, I don’t represent the NBA.”

Said Stern: “I’m not about to go around to see how much money players owe, although I am concerned who they owe.”

Stern criticized NBC for putting Esquinas on the air earlier during the playoffs, calling it “a commercial for his book.”

Costas referred to a another book by Chicago columnist Bob Greene in asking about a meeting Jordan had with Stern when Jordan’s gambling activity first surfaced. Costas said Jordan is quoted by Greene as saying a 2 1/2-hour meeting was only a half-hour of substance and the rest was for show, to make it look like the league was being tough on Jordan.

Stern said the meeting really didn’t need to take more than five minutes for Jordan “to assure the league he understood the gravity of the quality of his associations.”