Celtics’ Jaylen Brown reacts to NBA betting scandal
The issue of NBA betting has become a central topic following recent cases involving notable figures in the league.
Boston Celtics star guard Jaylen Brown spoke about needing more protection over the matter.
“They’re like, ‘You make X amount of money or X, Y, and Z, you should be able to deal with all the extra negativity, the people approaching you about the parlays,'” Brown said Friday at Madison Square Garden before the Celtics face the New York Knicks via ESPN. “It creates a negative discourse around the game and players when people have money involved. … It’s leading to situations that we can avoid if more conversations were had right now.”
Brown’s strong remarks come in the wake of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier being among those indicted Thursday as part of a federal investigation.
It is alleged that Rozier informed a friend that he sat himself out of a March 2023 game while playing with the Charlotte Hornets. That situation allegedly involved hundreds of thousands of dollars of bets made on the Rozier revolving around under props for the game.
Want $250 to bet on NBA futures?
Meanwhile, Billups is facing charges regarding his alleged role in rigged poker games, as well as matching the description of a co-conspirator who allegedly informed a better in advance that several Blazers starters would miss a game in March 2023.
These are sticky situations that put the NBA in muddy water, potentially leading to further investigations across the league.
