LAS VEGAS (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that he believes all leagues should continue to closely monitor gambling trends in their sports, keeping in mind the issues the NFL in particular has had to address in recent months.
Silver — who has been a longtime supporter of legal sports betting frameworks within sports — spoke in Las Vegas, as part of a moderated discussion as part of the Associated Press Sports Editors Conference. He draws an analogy with insider trading, he said, and how, he believes, periodicals find ways to stay ahead of big problems.
“I think public markets have worked very well in this country,” Silver said. But the flip side of the public market is the possibility of insider trading. And there are very complex algorithms, etc. that keep track of it. It’s no different in sports now, especially when you get higher betting amounts. You have very advanced computers. When they see odd bets… you will be arrested.”
The NFL recently suspended four players for violating its gambling policy; Three received at least one-year bans for betting on NFL games and one received a six-game suspension for betting on non-NFL games. This brings the total number to 10 disciplined players over the past two years as this league has pledged to increase its coaching efforts in all areas with a focus on Protect the integrity of the game.
“I think there’s a responsibility for these leagues to invest in more education, not just of our players, but of young people who might be doing something inappropriate or anyone who might engage in problematic gambling,” Silver said.
On other matters Silver discussed on Monday:
black property
As he did during the NBA Finals, Silver discussed how the league’s ownership landscape will change when Michael Jordan — the league’s only black majority owner — finishes selling his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets.
“I’m so sad to see him leave, he chooses to leave as owner, but of course he has the right to sell to whomever he wants,” said Silver. “And I will say in terms of representing the Lions, we’re not going to have a major owner who’s Black but we’ve got several players, especially ex-players, Dwyane Wade was the last one at Utah, Grant Hill, and a couple others have interest in a team.”
Silver said he can use his “bully rostrum” to ensure ownership groups entering the league have diversity within their group.
expansion
with new c Collective bargaining agreement In place, the league will turn its attention toward finalizing its next series of media rights deals.
When that’s done, Silver said the NBA will seriously consider expanding — but not before.
“We’ll move on to expansion once those media deals close,” Silver said. “It’s not a sure thing. But as I said before, I think it’s normal for organizations to grow over time. There’s no question that there’s a lot of interest in this (Las Vegas) market.”
Seattle has long been mentioned as an expansion target. Many players lobbied for Seattle to return to the NBA, many of them – Among them is LeBron James They said they strongly support the idea of a Las Vegas franchise.
Qatar ownership
It became known last month that Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund buys approximately 5% of the shares in the parent company of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the Washington Capitals of the NHL, and the Washington Mystics of the WNBA as part of a $4.05 billion deal.
But Silver said there is no mechanism now — and none will come in the foreseeable future — that would allow such funds to purchase the controlling stake of an NBA team.
“It’s very important to us, aside from sovereign wealth funds, that individuals are in a position to control our teams, to be accountable to the fans, to be accountable to their partners, to the players,” Silver said.
i am in love
Silver stood by A 25-game suspension was given to him by Memphis guard Ja Morant The second time he offered a gun on social media, though the National Basketball Players Association said it thought the punishment was too harsh.
As he said at the NBA Finals, Silver made it clear that he’s a Morant fan.
“As I understand it, he keeps asking for help,” Silver said. “And I know there is tremendous pressure that comes from being an NBA player, especially a star player. So I certainly sympathize with the pressures that he faces but I also feel, particularly with regard to guns and the kind of violence that we see among young people in our community, that this is something We have to take it incredibly seriously.”
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