JB Bickerstaff, Erik Spoelstra Share Security Concerns With Sports Betting

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra became the latest NBA personnel to speak out against sports betting. After Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said he feels like a “prop” because some gamblers complain about his stat-lines, Bickerstaff shared that things have gone further for him and his family.

“I have had my own instances with some of the sports gamblers,” Bickerstaff said Wednesday night. “They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff. It is a dangerous game and a fine like that we’re walking for sure.”

Bickerstaff said those instances were reported to NBA security and were handled appropriately. However, Bickerstaff noted he’s hearing it in person during games too.

“No doubt it’s crossed the line,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m 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’s ridiculous. I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But it’s something I believe has gone too far.”

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra relayed a story from a game where security had to intervene with a sports bettor.

“I do think it’s somewhat contradictory,” Spoelstra said Wednesday night. “I think it treads on a weird line. We had an incident behind our bench last year with (Victor) Oladipo. Somebody was screaming. Security had to take him away. The game was already over, and evidently, he didn’t shoot an open 3 at the end of the game. The game was already decided, and this fan was totally beside himself, and he was a gambler. He had money on whatever the score was. There’s just a lot of unintended consequences with that from a security standpoint that I’m not sure everybody totally understood.”