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Michael Jordan was confident that the University of North Carolina Tar Heels would beat rivals Duke Blue Devils in their NCAA Final Four matchup on Saturday. Jordan, a well-known gambler, had a friendly bet on the game with one of his sponsored athletes, Harold Varner III.
The pro golfer is known for wearing purple-colored shirts during tournaments, but he was seen in a UNC-colored shirt at The Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. Varner revealed to Golf Digest that he lost a bet to "His Airness" after Duke was eliminated by UNC 81-77.
"I said I'd wear these shoes and Carolina gear if Carolina beat Duke. And what do you know? Something crazy happened," Varner III said.
Jordan is an alumnus of UNC, while Varner is a Jordan Brand athlete. Varner III played collegiate golf at East Carolina University.
In an appearance on GOLF's "Subpar" podcast last year, Varner III told the story of how he got a deal from Jordan Brand. The 31-year-old pro golfer revealed that the negotiations were very easy, because MJ wanted him to be a part of the brand. It took only two days for the deal to be signed.
"MJ texted me and said, 'I'd love to have you in the brand.' And two days later, Harold Varner was in the brand," Varner said. "It was the most noncomplicated thing in the world. If MJ wants to help or wants to do something, he's going to do it."
Varner is the only pro golfer currently signed to a deal with Jordan Brand. The usual athletes signed are basketball players. Jordan Brand is also sponsors of UNC basketball and bootball, the Charlotte Hornets and MJ's NASCAR team, 23XI Racing.
Did Michael Jordan's UNC win the NCAA championship?
Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, but grew up in North Carolina. He attended UNC for three seasons. He hit the game-winning jumpshot in the 1982 NCAA championship game to lift UNC over Georgetown 63-62 as a freshman. After leaving the school in 1984, he was drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls, and the rest was history.
But did the Tar Heels win against the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday? The answer is no. UNC blew a 16-point lead and lost 72-69. The heartbreaking loss was the Tar Heels' sixth runner-up finish.
Before Monday's defeat, UNC lost to the Villanova Wildcats in 2016 following a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Kris Jenkins. The Tar Heels also finished second in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981. Nevertheless, UNC has won six NCAA titles: 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017.
