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Popular Basketball Players Who Are in Love with Poker

Via cardplayer.com

Poker is called the king of card games because it attracts a huge number of fans from various fields of activity. Football players, doctors, artists – everyone likes sitting at the poker table and getting an extra shot of adrenaline from the big pot draw.

If you compare poker and basketball, you can find a lot in common. Both disciplines are very dynamic, and provide competition against multiple opponents, while the best players are thought to be masters of concentration and thoughtful actions. Therefore, we wouldn’t doubt that many professional basketball players don’t mind spending hours on canadianslotsadvice.com websites playing with live dealers or participating in popular competitions. Who are these guys? Let’s check a few of them out.

Popular Gamblers Among Star Basketball Players

1) Charles Barkley

His name has found its place in the Basketball Hall of Fame and is also included in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Almost everyone knows Barkley is a legendary player, but the fact that he loves to play poker wasn’t always as well known. Once, Barkley shared with reporters that his hobby cost him at least $10 million. In the same interview, he shared that he once experienced some really regrettable luck in blackjack: he spent six hours at the card table and lost $2 million in total.

2) Draymond Green

The 30-year-old Golden State Warriors star is one of the most famous basketball players in the world. Green is a three-time NBA champion, 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a winner of many awards. Once, on the Domenick Nati tv-show, world record poker champion Phil Hellmuth announced that he was teaching poker to one of the key Dubs players. That player was Draymond Green, who expressed his desire to learn how to play poker. In 2019, he played poker with professional player Maria Ho.

3) Chris Paul

Chris Paul now plays for the Phoenix Suns. He has an incredible list of awards including Rookie of the Year and USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. The All-Star point guard is also quite fond of poker and is a frequent guest of expensive closed tournaments and poker shows. Phil Hellmuth has even voiced appreciation for Paul’s skill: “I think Chris Paul plays pretty well,” he once said. “Athletes are the main competitors. They are warriors and poker is the best sport to compete in.”

4) David Lee

The 37-year-old Lee spent 12 seasons in the league and played as a power forward for the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs. There are not many awards to boast but there’s an NBA title plus two All-Star appearances to look back fondly upond. Since finishing his career, Lee has devoted a lot of time to poker. He attends many poker series and is known for having beaten Phil Hellmuth in one of his home games!

Of course, there are a number of other big NBA names associated with poker. Michael Jordan is perhaps basketball’s most famous gambler so that goes without saying. Paul Pierce, Seth Curry, Russell Westbrook are also honorable mentions.

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