J.B. Bickerstaff told NBA reporters this week that he’s been threatened by a sports bettor.
The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach said an individual got a hold of his phone number and sent him “crazy messages” about Bickerstaff’s family and residence.
He reported the harassment to the NBA, and the individual was located, although no charges were filed.
“It is a dangerous game and a fine line that we’re walking for sure,” Bickerstaff said about sports betting and pro sports, according to ESPN. “It brings added pressure. It brings a distraction to the game that can be difficult for players, coaches, referees, everybody that’s involved in it.”
The NBA is one of many U.S. pro leagues that’s embraced sports betting and has partnerships with FanDuel and DraftKings to help fan engagement, interest in the sport, and financial rewards. Bickerstaff understands that, but at the same time, he’s concerned about the safety of the NBA participants and the line that can be crossed.
“I think that we really have to be careful with how close we let it get to the game and the security of the people who are involved in it,” Bickerstaff said. “The amount of times where I'm standing up there and we may have a 10-point lead and the spread is 11 and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in so that we can cover the spread, it's ridiculous. But again, I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But I mean, it is something that I believe has gone too far.”
Not alone
Bickerstaff isn’t the only sports figure trying to bring awareness to harassment stemming from sports betting.
NCAA president Charlie Barker has asked regulators in legal U.S. sports betting states to do more to protect student-athletes from bettors who do cross that line. Ohio and Maryland recently began prohibiting sportsbooks from offering college player prop bets.
West Virginia passed a law that allows state regulators to put an individual who is found harassing players, coaches, or officials to be banned from sports betting.
NBA star speaks out
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton was asked this week about meeting with sports psychologists, and the NBA star brought up the pressures from fans he’s received surrounding sports betting.
“Not everybody cares to hear how we feel… To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever. I’m a prop.“
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 20, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton on sports betting consuming social media 🗣️
(via @RomeovilleKid) pic.twitter.com/olSRqtba7y
“Just life in general, I think it’s important for us as basketball players, as men, to get those things out,” Haliburton said when referring to interacting with mental-health coaches about on and off-the-court issues. “Not everybody cares to hear how we feel. To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever. I’m a prop. That’s what my social media mostly consists of.”
