Cavaliers Coach JB Bickerstaff Received Threats From Gamblers

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA.

The gambler who threatened Bickerstaff was found. 

“They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff,” Bickerstaff said before the Cavaliers hosted the Miami Heat. “So it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we’re walking for sure.”

Sports betting is legal in 38 states, including Ohio, where there is a brick-and-mortar sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, operated by Caesars. The NBA, like other major pro sports in the U.S., has embraced fans betting on its games.

“It brings added pressure,” Bickerstaff said. “It brings a distraction to the game that can be difficult for players, coaches, referees, everybody that’s involved in it. And I think that we really have to be careful with how close we let it get to the game and the security of the people who are involved in it.

“Because again, it does carry a weight. A lot of times the people who are gambling like this money pays their light bill or pay their rent, and then the emotions that come from that. So I do think we’re walking a very fine line and we have to be extremely careful in protecting everybody who’s involved.”

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert suggested sports betting is influencing how NBA referees are officiating games after the Timberwolves lost to the Cavaliers. The All-Star was fined $100,000 for flashing the “money sign” gesture toward referees. 

“There’s no doubt about it that it’s crossed the line,” Bickerstaff said. “The amount of times where 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.

“But again, I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But I mean, it is something that I believe has gone too far.”