Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff said Wednesday that he has received a number of “crazy messages” from some of the greatest players in the sport.
Bickerstaff's comments came after Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said after Monday's practice: He feels the effects of sports betting Recently I have been discussing this issue with a sports psychologist.
“I personally have had experiences where sports gamblers have gotten my phone number and sent me strange messages about where I live, my children, etc.,” Bickerstaff said. “It's a dangerous game. There's a fine line we're definitely walking.”
“For half the world, I'm just helping them make money on DraftKings and stuff like that,” Haliburton told The Athletic's James Boyd. But sometimes it's funny when someone says something like, “I just lost $1,000.'' I don't care —. ”
The NBA, as a league, has a business relationship with FanDuel and offers betting on its app. The Cavs have unique partnerships with Ceasar's Sportsbook and in-arena sportsbooks. Several other teams have similar agreements with various sports betting companies. ESPN is a prominent broadcast partner and operates betting services and features a variety of gambling information on its broadcasts.
Mr Bickerstaff said the rise in gambling had made his job more difficult.
“It brings added pressure,” Bickerstaff said. “It's a distraction to the game and can make it difficult for the players, coaches, referees and everyone involved in it. I think we need to be really careful about people’s safety.”
Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, has also seen examples of gamblers going overboard.
“Last year, there was an incident with Victor Oladipo where someone was screaming behind the bench,” Spoelstra said. “Someone had to take it. [the fan] Away. The game is already over, obviously. [Oladipo] I couldn't hit an open three in the final minutes of the game. The match was already decided and this fan was a complete gambler. He had the money no matter what the score was. ”
“From a security perspective, there are a lot of unintended consequences that I'm not sure everyone fully understood when it was allowed.”
There is also a risk that people who do not participate in moderation may become involved in gambling.
“A lot of times people are gambling with this money that they pay their utility bills and rent,” Bickerstaff said. “And that's where the emotion comes from. I think we walk a very fine line and we have to be very careful to protect everyone involved.”
“I think that's somewhat contradictory,” Spoelstra said. “I think it walks a strange line.”
Bickerstaff went a step further than Spoelstra.
“There's no question that a line has been crossed,” Bickerstaff said. “Many times I'll be standing there and we're up by 10 and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave guys to cover the spread. It's ridiculous. .”
“I understand the business of it. I believe it's overkill.”
