Walt Rubel Commentary: NBA’s gambling problem is likely to spread

To me, the Kentucky Derby really is the most exciting two minutes in sports. Twenty horses fire out of the gate, each trained precisely for this moment and willing to give every drop of energy to be first to the finish, a mile and a quarter away.

But, horse racing has always been more about gambling than sport. And so, it’s seen as being shady. And with good reason. Medina Spirit, the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby, was disqualified after failing the post-race drug test.

And so, the sport will never be as popular as it once was. The NBA is now in danger of meeting that same fate.

When Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested last week for allegedly faking an injury to ensure that those who bet the under on proposition wagers for him in that game would all be big winners, he wasn’t the first player to run that con. In 2024, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life when he tried to pull the exact same scam.

It’s not just the players. Former referee Tim Donaghy served 11 months in prison after being caught gambling on games he had officiated. And, it is being reported that current referee Scott Foster may be involved in the latest scandal. The indictments mention several co-conspirators who have yet to be identified.

The NBA has a gambling problem.

When it was reported during his playing days that Michael Jordan had lost $1.25 million in high-stakes golf matches and $5 million in a single night at a casino, we all kind of shrugged. He was making so much money, and still is, that Jordan losing $1 million was less of a concern than the down-on-his-luck father who just lost the family’s food money for the week.

But that misses the point. It’s not about the money. Rozier had a four-year contract worth more than $96 million. It’s about winning, and playing the system, and getting over.

The NBA has a unique problem because basketball games are easier to rig. The officiating is more subjective, especially with the advent of instant replay reviews in other sports. And, it’s not uncommon for players to be held out for minor injuries.

But the growth of sports gambling is so pervasive that it is only a matter of time before the problems faced by the NBA today spread to other sports.

In the blink of an eye, sports gambling has gone from being illegal in most states to a multibillion-dollar industry. Through August of this year, a whopping $10 billion had been wagered on sports, an increase of nearly 19 percent from the year before, according to the American Gaming Association.

Sports leagues that went to great lengths in the past to distance themselves from gambling are now sharing in the profits. That may be the biggest gamble of them all.

The bond between a fan and his or her favorite team is a powerful thing. We will go to great lengths to express our loyalty, often in loud and obnoxious ways.

But if it ever gets to the point where we can no longer trust that the competition is fair and honest, that bond will be broken. Then it all becomes horse racing.


Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected]

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