At long last, NBA bettors have a superstar who DOES care about their parlays: Jayson Tatum
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Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.
Sports bettors have been searching everywhere, high and low, near and far, for a pro athlete who actually cares about their plight. The minutes upon minutes of research they do each day to find a 10-leg parlay that just can’t miss. The hours upon hours of game footage they watch each night, just to be disappointed when half those legs miss. It’s a thankless job, and the athletes who literally have the power in their hands to make it all better for the bettor simply never seem to care.
Until now.
The search is over. Bettors finally have their champion. The athlete who doesn’t bet himself (as far as we know) but still cares about the people who do. The athlete who understands that all these degenerates want is a little sympathy. It’s the man who thinks MVP voters have it out for him, but might have just curried himself a little more public favor: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
No, but for real. All jokes aside, NBA players have been getting questions about sports betting a little more these days after recent revelations by Tyrese Haliburton and J.B. Bickerstaff about their experiences with bettors, and Tatum shared a perspective that hasn’t been common among professional athletes — who often go out of their way to tell us how much they don’t care about people’s bets.
Tatum told reporters Wednesday he actually feels bad when he lets down sports bettors. “I guess I do feel bad when I don’t hit people’s parlays,” Tatum said. “I don’t want them to lose money. But I just go out there and try to play the game.”
Jayson Tatum on sports betting in the NBA:
“Fans yell shit all the time, shoot one more three, get one more rebound, get 25 before the half is over… I guess I do feel bad when I don't hit people's parlays. I dont want to them lose money.” pic.twitter.com/k6CHnL6CDF
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) March 27, 2024
Bettors everywhere just shed a single tear. Especially the ones who aren’t on social media bashing players but get lumped in with those who do.
I honestly never expected to hear that from someone like Tatum. It’s clear he’s inundated with all the same noise other athletes say they hear from bettors, if not more. He gave so many examples of the type of things people ask of him and noted how much it’s changed since he entered the league in 2017, before the federal ban on sports betting was lifted. And yet, he still comes away from it all feeling like he let people down.
It makes you wonder how common that sentiment is, and how much of that noise affects what players do on the court, consciously or not.
Draymond Green is at it again
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
If you thought a little suspension earlier in the season was going to stop Draymond Green from toeing the line of playing dirty, think again.
The Golden State Warriors won a pivotal game over the Miami Heat Tuesday to stay ahead of the Houston Rockets for 10th place in the Western Conference, but it didn’t come without some of your typical Green antics.
He didn’t punch, choke or stomp on anyone, but he did blatantly pull Patty Mills down by the neck, as you can see it for yourself.
— Crystal Scar (@crystalscarr21) March 26, 2024
Given Green’s history, FTW’s Charles Curtis wrote it was enough to warrant another suspension:
“He apparently somehow was whistled for a common foul and not a flagrant. But it doesn’t matter. Given Green’s history, anything that would be this reckless needs a suspension — let’s say five games — to remind him that there’s a line that he cannot cross that he for sure crossed on Tuesday.”
One to Watch
(All odds via BetMGM)
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn Nets (-160) at Washington Wizards (+3.5; +135), 7:10 p.m. ET
Y’all. My Washington Wizards are rolling right now. They are on a season-long three-game winning streak and start a six-game home stand tonight against the Nets, who are decidedly not rolling. So, will the good times last? I’m not sure — and I really don’t want them to for draft purposes — but I do think Washington puts up a good fight at home and covers the +3.5 spread.
Shootaround
— LeBron James hilariously trolled Giannis Antetokounmpo by counting during his OT free throws
— Jimmer Fredette and his iconic 3-point range is going to the Olympics for Team USA
— Jontay Porter should get a lifetime ban if found guilty in NBA’s prop betting investigation
That’s it from me y’all. Check back Friday for more Layup Lines.