{
  "id": 12705512,
  "title": "Michael Jordan Talks Social Media's Influence on Sports Gambling",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/michael-jordan-talks-social-medias-influence-on-sports-gambling",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T20:27:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/michael-jordan-talks-social-medias-influence-on-sports-gambling-12537824"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Michael Jordan, former NBA superstar and actor, has commented on the transformation of today's professional basketball league and its impact on sports betting since his playing days. In an interview, he pondered, \"If I were to play today, what would the game be?\" Jordan remarked, \"It's a totally different game. But I think ultimately, the conclusion that I come to is that I just play the game. I can’t worry about what people are betting on. I can’t worry about what the stats are. I never worry about the stats. All I care about is the end of the game.\"\n\nThe rise of social media has granted fans unprecedented access to players, both in action and off the court. Jordan acknowledged that he would have been subject to public scrutiny as well, explaining, \"I remember, actually you wouldn’t know what I did before the game. You wouldn’t know what I did after the game. Today, you know all those things. And I think that’s because the fans want to be connected with the athlete even greater.\"\n\nThis heightened level of connection has also benefited sports bettors, who now have a clearer understanding of the game's outcome. Jordan observed, \"On top of that, these guys are looking at that to understand what the betting scenario is, or how they’re going to set their odds.\"",
  "summary": "The NBA legend understands that the sports betting face has forever been altered by the rise of social media.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}