Nick Schulman vs. Mike McDonald
Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald was this week hit with angle shooting accusations, as Nick Schulmanconceded defeat in their big-money basketball free-throw prop bet, stating: ‘I can’t take it anymore’.
Conceding the free throw bet I can't take it anymore pic.twitter.com/qyoH8IK7Bf
— Nick Schulman (@NickSchulman) August 26, 2020
The row erupted after McDonald finally bagged his 90/100 score from the free throw line, netting him around $200k in various bets.
At least $15k of that was action from fellow poker pro and well-known commentator Schulman. However, it transpired that the word ‘continuous’ in the bet meant different things to the prop-betting duo.
Bro I don't care if it's world war 3 and there is one hoop in town we all have to share has to be 100 continuous shots those arms get a little weary around 65, 70
— Nick Schulman (@NickSchulman) August 26, 2020
Schulman added in his ‘concession speech’ on Wednesday: “I just can’t take it anymore. I’m feeling this heat like I’m being scummy or something. So, yeah, the first bet I made for $15,000, take it, Mike. I mean, I guess you can just go take a night off in between the 100.”
As we reported back in April, the man known as the ‘Bank of Timex’ decided to try to equal a percentage from the line that only three players in NBA history managed across their careers – Steph Curry, Steve Nash, and Mark Price.
The terms of the challenge were outlined on Twitter and seemed fairly standard for such an effort…
‘Alright I figured out terms,’ tweeted McDonald:
- I must sink 90/100 free throws on an attempt. I get unlimited attempts
- regulation ball, regulation hoop, lane violations not allowed
- Even money
- Bet lasts until the end of 2020
McDonald even listed the ‘Nittier terms’, which seemed obvious to most fans and followers of both poker and basketball.
-I must define when an attempt starts. Ie if I shot 150 and scored 90/100 between #20-119 I’d need to reset the counter after 19 for it to count
-If I have no safe access to a regulation hoop I get an extension until I have had 50 hours of safe use of a regulation hoop
Mcdonald beating the odds
By late June, however, McDonald was already closing in on the magic number…
Free throw PBs:
Home rim:
88/100 (June 28)
22 consecutive (June 28)
Regulation rim:
76/100 (June 25)
Outdoor double rim:
74/100 (June 28)— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) June 29, 2020
When he finally made it, however, there was a problem – McDonald had been kicked off the court just after the midway point, resuming his record run later, as he explained…
I hit 90/100. Shot 61 I got kicked off the court and resumed 30 min later (as was permitted in the terms of the bet)
— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) August 26, 2020
That, naturally, had the sharks sniffing possible blood. Was that allowed? Did it help Timex or hinder him? Did it really matter?
Some of the biggest names in the game waded in…
‘Unless there’s language in the bet about pace and breaks, I don’t see how it’s relevant and you could just as easily argue that the break harms his chances because it breaks up rhythm’. – Tony Dunst
‘I’m not taking a side but I don’t know if anyone has mentioned: I think you prob experienced less pressure due to saying “I prob won’t make it anyway, if I do I’ll figure it out” etc. That arguably impacted the situation as well’. – Vanessa Selbst
‘Totally neutral party here. Shouldn’t you have known that ur time was going to be up? In which case shouldn’t of began the attempt in the first place? What r the stipulations if the bet regarding 100 subsequent attempts? Theoretically, u could shoot 1 break. Shoot 1 repeat…’ – Chance Kornuth
Well, the only people it really mattered to was those involved in the bet, and when Nick conceded, Mike accepted it. He also promised to do the 90/100 again in one continuous session…
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