Jayson Tatum was asked about the influence of betting on the NBA and how his interactions with fans have changed as a result. Tatum openly admitted that he doesn't like it when fans are losing money because he made their parlay bet fall apart.
“Fans yell s--- all the time, 'Shoot one more three,' 'Get one more rebound,' 'Get 25' before the half is over… It wasn't like this my first few years," Tatum said. "It's definitely changed. When you do well and hit people's parlay, they'll tell me but they also talk sh*t when I don't... I guess it's kinda funny. I guess, I do feel bad when I don't hit people's parlays. I don't want to them lose money.”
This is a pretty big revelation though people will mostly gloss over it. If a heckling fan is influencing Tatum's decision to shoot the ball because he doesn't want them to lose money on their parlay, it's not good for the game. Players should be protected from fans and others, especially with betting becoming a mainstay in the modern NBA.
We are already facing some of the negative effects of the increased presence of sport-betting in the modern NBA, as indicated by the ongoing investigation into Jontay Porter. Along with this, multiple fans and analysts have called the NBA out for establishing more deals and partnerships that glorify sports betting.
Multiple Voices Speaking Out Against Sports Betting
Over the month of March, we have seen a clear pushback from players and coaches within the NBA about the influence of sports betting on the sport. Rudy Gobert infamously went on a tirade about how referees can influence betting lines earlier this month and was slapped with a $100,000 fine for the same. This was followed up by Tyrese Haliburton complaining about being treated like a betting prop by fans around the world.
More players have directly called out the fans that keep pestering them over bets, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Terry Rozier. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we are any closer to severing the ties between organized betting and sport given every major sports league is a part of this network. It's far too profitable for the league to take away, which has caused lapses, like the kind Jontay Porter is having to explain now.
Sports betting tends to cause massive outpouring from fans, as the nature of parlay bets requires just one player to be below-average and your entire payout is made pointless. Due to this focus on single-player performances at times, the magnitude of hate against one player can increase on a game-by-game basis.
Ultimately, the players are also human beings. Tatum doesn't want fans betting their money on him to leave that situation disappointed. That's fair from Tatum, but it definitely has to impact how his mindset is during an NBA game. Hopefully, the league finds a solution before another scandal regarding the same breaks out.
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