After each match, when the functions of this night are finished and Jalen Brunson has a chance to relax, he opens his phone to dozens and dozens of messages on social networks.
It doesn’t matter if it scores 40 points or 20 points. It doesn’t matter if New York Knicks earn 30 points, two points or lose. Most of the messages tend to be the same: they threaten him as well as his family, including his month old daughter. They call it racial insults. They ask for money.
Brunson could do what he paid for: playing well and winning basketball matches. And yet, the star guard has spent many after -match nights spending hard messages from people who bet money – sometimes large sums – on things that they cannot control.
“Really threatened?” Brunson wondered, reflecting for a moment, after the question was asked by Athletics. “I never felt really threatened, but there were really disrespectful -” said. It’s a lot of people who don’t have profile photos. There is a part of me who thought of disseminating them, but still comes back. »»
Now that the sports game is legal in many states and widespread, this type of abuse has become increasingly common and inevitable in the life of players. This is an involuntary consequence of opening this income.
In 2018, the United States Supreme Court canceled a federal ban on sports betting at the state level, paving the way for several states to legalize it. It made so accessible that people can bet more important sums of their phone while sitting within the comfortable limits of their house, a bar or even an arena while they are inside watching the match in front of them . According to the American Gaming Association, the industry carried out $ 10.92 billion in revenues in 2023 and the States collected almost $ 2 billion in tax revenue.
The NBA announced last year that it would allow fans to watch matches on its streaming application to follow the ratings of the bets and click on to make betting with the partners of Paris of the League, Fanduel and Draftkings. (Athletics has a partnership with BETMGM.)
Under the NBA collective agreement, players can invest in fantastic sports and sports betting companies, but their participation must be less than one percent in any business that takes NBA bets. Players, however, cannot play on the matches of their league.
Last year, Toronto Raptors Forward Jontay Porter was banished From the NBA for what Adam Silver called “a cardinal sin” to bet on the League matches. Miami’s heat goalkeeper Terry Rozier is under federal investigation To perhaps manipulate his performances in a match in 2023 as part of the illegal sports game program. The league was alerted from suspect bets surrounding Rozier, but “did not find a violation of the NBA rules,” said a spokesperson for the League.
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Within the NBA process of the players in the players for a suspicious Paris activity
When legal sports betting really started to take off and were new to almost everyone – including players – Brunson worried about the messages they received. Add the eagerness of fans who could freely bet from home with direct access to athletes via social networks, and Brunson had trouble understanding what was going on.
The League has processes in place that allow players to report incidents to their teams and / or to the League office, said a spokesperson for the NBA Athletics. NBA security also monitors social media to threaten messaging and work with teams to identify responsible persons and, if necessary, involve the police. Several players who spoke to Athletics said they were not aware of the protocols in place.
Even then, there is nothing that cannot prevent players from receiving these messages directly on their phone, not without rendering their private accounts or not having social networks all together.
“It happened to the point where it’s a bit comical for me now, but, at first, I was like … What is F—?” Said Brunson.
The center of Detroit Pistons Isaiah Stewart began his NBA career at the same time on online sports betting launched in Michigan. At that time, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the spectators were not allowed in the arenas. So, many of Stewart’s first interactions with fans came via social media, where people were upset by something he did or did not do on the field that lost them.
“No not at all. This is their decision, “said Stewart by phone when asked if there was never guilt when someone tells them that they lost a bet. “They chose to put money and bet on our games. You find it funny, until there is a line they cross when it is not funny.
“They said a lot of crazy things like family, comments on my wife, my son.”
In College in Marquette, Knicks’ recruit Tyler Kolek said he would receive hateful messages after each match.
“I was told,” Go kill yourself “,” said Kolek. “I became worse than that, but it’s common.”
Washington wizarding guard Corey Kispert, who entered the NBA in 2021 – said he and his teammates received messages almost every evening, generally after losses. The Wizards have not yet had a victory record since Kispert entered the league.
Kispert said that it is often the same people, who do not have profile photos and no username that suggests who they really are. Death threats are common.
“No, normally I don’t (report death threats),” said Kispert. “I mean, these people are almost anonymous on social networks. We just have the impression that we can let him go. It is the dark side of all this.
Milwaukee Bucks striker Kyle Kuzma finds the interactions he receives on humorous social media.
“I don’t really read messages,” Kuzma said. “It could be on Twitter. I think it’s really funny, honestly, because, yes, you can earn money, but you also waste money too. It’s funny because I said something the other day, and it’s like we are threats and we are called names, and people never think as if they were bad To choose the Parlays?
For the Knicks goalkeeper Josh Hart, there is rarely a difference between him get 10 rebounds in a game or new. In the majority of cases, a rebound will not determine if Hart has succeeded in his work; His job is to help Knicks win basketball matches. However, for @ Sportsbettor12345 or John Doe in Long Island, Hart has only nine rebounds instead of 10 can potentially make the difference between this person who can pay his mortgage this month, or even worse.
“I understand everything,” said Hart. “People say,” I hope you die “. They want injuries. Racial things.
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“I literally can’t stop. The descent of a modern sports fan
Hart and his teammates never leave someone’s wrath of bet or should not dictate their operation. However, it is almost impossible for these 20 years which are online so as not to be affected in one way or another.
Admittedly, Hart has already played in someone’s anger, before sportsbooks were opened across the country. It was back to university, and even if he does not remember the bet that someone lost because of his performance, he remembers that the person was sending a message with his veno attached so that he May be reimbursed for its financial loss.
He returned against him.
“It was in Providence, and someone told me that I had spoiled (some bet), so I sent them $ 1 on Venmo,” said Hart. “Then I started to get a lot of Veno requests, and I said to myself:” Very good “.”
The Trayce of the Golden State Warriors Jackson-Davis makes people regularly demand money.
“‘What is your vemo, my brother?” You have sold my by as a ”, he said about the messages he receives. “‘You could have taken one more bounce or you could have had one more lay-up.’ It happens all the time. Or people behind the bench will be like “Trayce, I need 10 boards of you tonight!” “”
The New York Miles McBride goalkeeper does his best to ignore all the messages related to the game he receives. However, McBride added that most of his game interactions with fans come during the offseason, when he tries to blend as a normal civilian. People will come to him and say, “You have made me a lot of money!” Or “You sold me once.” And, whatever the side of the track on which a fan is, McBride tries not to feed there.
“I think the bet of the first boucket could be the one I notice all the time,” said McBride. “I see guys who are in the stands and it’s just a regular lay-up. I think it’s funny.
Last month, with the last seconds that ended on the Orlando Magic, beating the Knicks inside Madison Square Garden, the New York Cam Payne goalkeeper who transformed what would have been a 103 victory -91 of Orlando in a magic victory 103-94. The shot gave Payne eight points in the night.
In the big scheme of things, Payne taking and realizing the latter 3 had no impact on the game. However, for one reason or another, whether it is the point differential, the Total of the Payne point or the total Points scored in the game, the shot came with repercussions of fans of Paris.
“Everyone is angry with your boy if he doesn’t play well or doesn’t take any blows,” said Payne. “They are on me about their little parlays.
“It’s funny that people are there looking for this instead of just watching the match. It’s just funny for me. We don’t ask you to bet your money.
The NBA approach – and other sports leagues – to look at the legalization of sports betting has helped create these possibilities. This also had an impact on the experiences in the Arena with the fans who howl about the players and coaches based solely on their loss or to have won a bet. Team security does not confront abusive fans. This responsibility is based on the safety of the arena. Fans often receive verbal warnings during the first rupture of the NBA fans’ code of conduct, which the league promotes each match. A second and third incident by a spectator could lead them to be expelled from the arena.
In the end, there is only little that the league can do to limit interactions or abuses linked to betting. The league cannot control a player’s social media account. And asking players not to check their accounts is unrealistic in the modern world.
The game is now part of the fabric of collegial and professionals sports, and there is probably no going back. After all, the love of money is the root of all evil, and there is a lot of money in the sports game.
“This is what I get angry,” said Knicks goalkeeper Mikal Bridges. “When I lose someone a bet (I get messages of hatred). I have nothing when I win a bet.
“Where’s my money?”
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / Athletics; Top photos: Ethan Miller, Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images)