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Gambling Dispute Exposes NBA Reality Behind Mask
WASHINGTON, D.C. --
US sports associations are prone to argue that legalized sports gambling could corrupt supposedly pristine game results. But a series of incidents in the National Basketball Association reveals that regulated sports betting is the least of the dangers confronting sports leagues and match results.
Reports have confirmed that Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other in the locker room in an incident about ten days ago. The gunplay was a result of an argument over an unpaid gambling debt.
Arenas admits keeping three guns in his locker, a violation of league policy against firearms at venues.
The federal law against sports gambling fails to prevent gambling from being a part of the NBA culture. The league is rife with stories of high-stakes card games, and there are legendary tales of the gambling done by Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
Further, ex-referee Tim Donaghy has detailed the ways the league office has manipulated game results through officials to boost TV ratings, allowing him to predict with 75 percent accuracy NBA winners against the spread.
Allowing US residents to place bets with transparent and regulated sports books, rather than continue a culture behind the scenes that involves athletes carrying guns and threatening each other over gambling, would seem to be a step in a positive direction.
As much as sports leagues would like to portray their players as innocents naive enough to be led astray by evil gambling influences, the reality is that thuggish behavior is rampant in US sports and licensed sports gambling may in fact deter corrupt behavior.
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