Jay-Z’s big money moves are about opening casinos in New York City and getting that NFL bag, so a million isn’t a massive hit for him.
Jay-Z often gets hate for his sports-related moves, but rarely do they backfire on him in a direct way. That is, unless we’re talking about an unsuccessful bet. According to TMZ, he put a whopping $1 million on the line and predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder would beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals in five games.
Unfortunately for Hov, the Pacers won game three last night (Wednesday, June 11), putting them up 2-1 against the Thunder. So we’re either going to six or seven games. But fortunately for him, a million dollars isn’t much in the grand scheme of his billions.
If the Roc Nation mogul had actually been successful with this bet, he would’ve walked away with $3.3 million. But thanks to big performances from Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, and more, Jay-Z will have to make another bet if he wants a plus payout.
However, we can’t blame Jay for his confidence. The 2025 NBA Finals have been very surprising so far, with game-winning shots, blowouts, killer defense, and coaching adjustments throwing fans for a loop. If it keeps up like this and we get more close games, anyone who complained about small markets or particular players’ “superstar” status is in for a rude awakening.