When Rudy Gobert made that money sign towards an NBA referee it was news. Now, with revelations that two NBA coaches, J.B. Bickerstaff and Erik Spoelstra, have both admitted to being harrassed by gamblers, that Gobert sign may have been the first of many dominoes to drop.
NBA and gambling are not a new pairing. We all remember the fiasco that surrounded Tim Donaghy. What’s different now is that the landscape has changed. It’s nearly impossible to watch or read about a game without learning the spread. In short, the NBA is now connected to gambling in a way it wasn’t when Donaghy went rogue… allegedly.
I asked Gemini to write about it. Here are its thoughts along with mine at the end.
Let’s be honest, NBA games are more exciting than ever. But as a lifelong fan, I can’t help but wonder if the rise of legal sports betting is changing the game in a way that feels…off.
Don’t get me wrong, seeing my team win a close game and cash a ticket is a double dose of awesome. But with betting apps plastered everywhere, it’s hard to ignore the extra pressure on players and refs.
Imagine this: your team’s down by two with seconds left. The free throw line seems miles long, knowing a miss could crush both your team’s comeback and your bet. Is that the kind of pressure we want our favorite athletes playing under? [Note: I thought this imagery was weird, but I understand the point. There is already enough pressure to make the shots, you don’t need to be worrying about the spread too]
The NBA says they’re all about transparency, and that’s good. But what about the whispers of point shaving or even refs unconsciously influenced by betting lines? Maybe it’s paranoia, but a tainted game is a game nobody wins. [Note: Agreed. Even the smallest semblance of a problem is a huge problem for the NBA.]
Look, I love the energy that betting brings to the game. But the NBA needs to walk a tightrope. Let’s keep the competition fierce, the fans engaged, and the games clean. Otherwise, the magic of the NBA might just become another gamble.
[Note: That is where AI ends. Not a bad overview]
Understanding that there no divorcing gambling from the NBA the Commissioner needs to walk that tightrope. We love sports, in part, because we know there is a chance that Villanova beats Georgetown, that someone will score 100 again some day. The incredibly unique things that happen by chance draw us in. Not knowing exactly how things will turn out keeps us glued to the game. The possibility that things aren’t being left to chance would be devastating.
Let’s hope we never get to that point.
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