The Neighborhood's Cedric the Entertainer Once Lost $18,000 to Michael Jordan
2026 is proving to be a big year of change for NAACP Image Award-winning actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer. Not only is wrapping his popular sitcom, The Neighborhood, after eight seasons on CBS on May 11, but he is also debuting in August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway, officially on April 25.
With a lot to celebrate and talk about, he stopped by the hit morning show, The Breakfast Club, with hosts Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Loren LoRosa. It's during this comical conversation that Cedric the Entertainer drops the bombshell news that he once owed NBA GOAT Michael Jordan almost $20,000.
Did Michael Jordan Teach Cedric the Entertainer a Gambling Lesson?
While on an episode of The Breakfast Club that aired on April 24, DJ Envy asks Cedric the Entertainer, "Is it true that Michael Jordan made you quit gambling?" In response, the Barbershop star replies:
"Uh, no, I just lost money playing with him, playing golf one time. You know. But it's MJ, like, you know, he'll gamble on anything. So, I'm just trying to be in the game and just play. I bet $1,000 a hole and lost every hole."
The co-hosts of the radio show were all stunned and gasped. When asked to confirm if he indeed lost every hole, the star reemphasizes, "Every hole. $18,000 is a lesson learned." Still in disbelief, DJ Envy questions if the basketball legend really wanted the money, considering Jordan is a billionaire. Cedric the Entertainer simply responds, "No, no when you gamble, you gotta pay. MJ ain't playing like that."
Now, if you're wondering if Cedric the Entertainer lost every hole because he doesn't play golf, he confirmed in the interview that he actually does play the sport. As it turns out, Jordan is just better at the game. Not for nothing, according to a story on the PGA Tour website, the NBA Hall of Famer has been golfing since 1983/1984. Check out The Breakfast Club clip below:
@cedtheentertainer came through to promote his Broadway debut in the play Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and we learn that Cedric shares a hard lesson about gambling with Michael Jordan. Check out the full interview on @netflix ! pic.twitter.com/ZOMPwKZoRb
— The Breakfast Club (@breakfastclubam) April 24, 2026
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This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 1:03 PM.