J.B. Bickerstaff, the NBA private instructor of the Cleveland Cavaliers, says the elaboration of legal sports gambling across the United States has presented problems for not only players but also referees, coaches, and squad personnel.
Before his team’s tipoff against the Miami Heat in conclusion week, Bickerstaff was asked by a newsperson nigh Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton’s comments expression he feels similar a “prop” amidst the heightened sports betting climate.
Bickerstaff said he certainly isn’t immune from the added pressures that sports betting has brought to the game. The Cavs four-in-hand inwards his fourth season in President Cleveland relayed an unsettling calculate of an furious sports punter cobbler's last year obtaining his phone figure and levying threats against his family.
They got my phone identification number and were sending me weirdo messages nearly where i live and my kids,” the 45-year-old Bickerstaff said. “It is a life-threatening gamey and a mulct demarcation that we’re walking for sure.”
Bickerstaff has led the Cavs to unity of the to a greater extent surprising seasons this year, though the team has endured recent struggles inward losing hexad of the previous 10 games. At 43-27, Grover Cleveland has the third-best track record inwards the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs’ struggles of tardily make lengthened their statute title odds, with DraftKings currently putting President Cleveland at 45/1 to win the NBA Finals. The Beantown Celtics have got the shortest odds at 2/1.
Sports Betting Foul
Bickerstaff says the item-by-item who sent the threatening texts was placed past jurisprudence enforcement after he reported it to the NBA. The tutor explained that the individual was not supercharged with any crime.
The Cavs coach says he’s also faced barracking during games from bettors seeking to win an over/under or facing pages points bet.
The number of times I’m standing upward on that point [on the sideline] and we hold a 10-point take and the spreading is 11 and people are shouting at me to leave the guys inward so that we can cover… it’s ridiculous,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s no uncertainty about it that it’s crossed the line.”
The NBA did non fine Bickerstaff for expressing his opinions on sports betting.
The conference handed MN eye Rudy Gobert a $100,000 penalty earliest this month after he made a money contract by rubbing his thumbs over the tips of his indicant and midriff fingers. The gesture made towards the referee insinuated that the mettlesome was fixed.
Gambling a ‘Distraction’
Bickerstaff says the NBA’s embracing of sports betting power be undecomposed for the conference because of higher TV ratings, but it’s a “distraction” for players, refs, and personnel.
In Cleveland’s instance, fans canful wager on the gritty from their seats interior Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, as Ohio River is home to online sports betting. The Cavs arena also has an on-site retail Caesars Sportsbook.
“It brings added pressure. It brings a misdirection to the gamy that tin live difficult for players, coaches, referees, and everybody that’s involved. And I opine that we really have got to follow deliberate with how tightlipped we net ball it have to the spirited and the protection of the people who are involved inward it,” the train concluded.
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