Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed he received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA.
While being asked Wednesday night about sports gambling following comments made by Indiana All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who said he sometimes feels like a 鈥減rop,鈥� Bickerstaff said gamblers contacted him.
鈥淭hey got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff,鈥� Bickerstaff said before the Cavs hosted the Miami Heat. 鈥淪o it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we鈥檙e walking for sure.鈥�
Bickerstaff said he told security and that the gambler was located.
鈥淣o charges,鈥� Bickerstaff said. 鈥淏ut they found him.鈥�
With sports gambling growing in the U.S., Bickerstaff, who is in his fourth full season with the Cavaliers, said his job has become more challenging.
鈥淚t brings added pressure,鈥� he said. "It brings a distraction to the game that can be difficult for players, coaches, referees, everybody that鈥檚 involved in it. And 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.
鈥淏ecause again, it does carry a weight. A lot of times the people who are gambling like this money pays their light bill or pay their rent, and then the emotions that come from that. So I do think we鈥檙e walking a very fine line and we have to be extremely careful in protecting everybody who鈥檚 involved.鈥�
Because fans can bet on their phones in the arena 鈥� the Cavs have a sportsbook inside Rocket Mortage FieldHouse 鈥� Bickerstaff said the line between gambling and the game has never been closer.
鈥淭here's no doubt about it that it鈥檚 crossed the line,鈥� he said. "The amount of times where I鈥檓 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鈥檚 ridiculous.
鈥淏ut 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.鈥�
Following a recent game in Cleveland, Minnesota center Rudy Gobert said he felt gambling is 鈥渉urting our game.鈥�
Gobert made the comments after making a 鈥渕oney鈥� gesture toward official Scott Foster, implying gambling was influencing the way the game was being called. He was fined $100,000, the maximum that the NBA could give under terms of the collective bargaining agreement that went into place last year.
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AP NBA:
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
