Advertisement

Why the Memphis Grizzlies are not fazed by the rise of sports betting among fans

The signs, fan heckling and messages are hard to avoid. A FanDuel sportsbook sign hangs behind the basketball goal for some Memphis Grizzlies games. FanDuel, along with DraftKings, are co-sports betting partners of the NBA.

Players are often reminded during games of certain statistical goals that gambling fans want them to reach. As the conversation about sports betting has grown, players have spoken about the positives and negatives from their points of view.

In Memphis, Grizzlies players hear fans asking them to make one more 3-pointer or to not grab any more rebounds, but they remain unbothered.

“I don’t mind it,” guard Desmond Bane said. “I think it’s bringing in another way to make money surrounding the game. Everybody is going to have an opinion. Some guys value those opinions and listen to those opinions. I’m not really that type of guy.”

Sports betting is as big as ever now that it has been legalized in many states, including Tennessee. Leagues like the NBA have partnerships with sportsbooks. While the business is successful financially, it has put NBA players in a position where they must navigate this new passion from fans.

The Grizzlies (25-50) may not be winning as much this season, but much of sports betting has little to do with that. Statistical props for players to fall below or go over certain numbers in points, rebounds and other categories have led to widespread debate about the morality of the NBA partnering with sportsbooks.

NBA players PJ Tucker and Michael Porter Jr. have talked about the downside of the growth in sports betting. Tucker called it “outrageous,” and Porter pointed out the reality of disappointing someone every night, no matter how the player performs.

“People yell way crazier stuff than stuff about betting, so it really don’t matter,” Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “You play in hundreds of arenas, you just kind of tune it out. It’s just fun back and forth.”

The league is currently investigating Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter after multiple incidents of betting irregularities the past several months. Multiple NFL players have faced gambling suspensions within the past year, and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani held a news conference March 25 to clear his name in a gambling scandal involving his then-interpreter.

The conversation is going beyond the players. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has had what he described as “dialogue” with college and professional coaches on the topic. Current Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic was an assistant with Jenkins and the Grizzlies last season.

Jenkins understands sports betting is here to stay because of the business. He credited the NBA for carefully vetting sportsbooks in the process of creating the partnerships, but now, protecting the integrity of the game is as important as ever.

“When you hear some of the examples, it definitely raises some concern,” Jenkins said. “Luckily, I kind of steer away from that. I have no part of that. When fellow colleagues are dealing with things that are going on in their world and livelihood, there’s just a lot more investigation and digesting that needs to happen.”

ACCOLADES: Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 65th game, eligible for NBA postseason honors

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies players unfazed by rise of fans gambling on NBA