Jaylen Brown is raising concerns over the NBA’s approach to player safety in the rapidly expanding world of legalized sports betting as he argues that the league has not done enough to prepare athletes for the risks involved.
The recent federal arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier in connection with illegal sports gambling have highlighted vulnerabilities in the league’s oversight – but according to the Boston Celtics star, the NBA has yet to fully address how to protect players.
Brown, who also serves as a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, criticized the lack of ongoing dialogue between the league and its players regarding protections from undue influence or harassment related to betting.
He emphasized that athletes often face external pressures and negative interactions from fans seeking inside information.
“A lot more could have been done to help players and prepare players,” Brown said in a Friday pregame media session. “But even in the aftermath, I don’t think little care or attention to detail goes into it.
“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, people approaching you about parlays.
“It creates a negative discourse around the game and players when people have money involved.”
Complicating matters is the NBA’s extensive business relationship with sportsbooks, which generate significant revenue from wagers tied to games, teams, and individual player performance.
While Commissioner Adam Silver recently called for stricter regulations and asked some partners to reduce player prop bet offerings, Brown argues that player safety has not been the central focus.
“I don’t think once from my conversations with the union and the NBA has been like ‘How can we protect players more with the environment?'” Brown continued. “There’s been little to no conversation about that. It’s all about ‘How can we increase business and increase revenue?’
“I’m not sure if we’re having enough conversations about the aftermath or the consequences some of that stuff has.”
NBA’s response to player safety concerns
The NBA maintains that protecting players and coaches remains a priority. Spokesman Mike Bass stated that league security works with team officials and law enforcement to address any fan behavior that violates the NBA code of conduct.
That’s both in arenas and online, and Bass highlighted that safeguards, including social media monitoring, are in place to track potential threats.
Additionally, the league has increased communications to fans attending games to reinforce conduct standards and stress that abusive or disrespectful behavior toward players will not be tolerated.
Despite these measures, Brown‘s remarks suggest a disconnect between policy and practice as he believes the league’s focus on revenue from betting partnerships sometimes overshadows efforts to proactively educate and shield players.
The challenge for the NBA remains balancing commercial opportunities with ethical responsibility.
As the popularity of sports betting continues to grow, the league faces increasing scrutiny over whether it is doing enough to protect its athletes from exploitation, undue pressure, and potential legal exposure.
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