Jaylen Brown on the Betting Scandal: “The NBA Needs to Protect Its Players”

The issue of sports betting continues to dominate discussion around the NBA, with rising tensions between players, fans, and the league itself. In the latest development, Jaylen Brown, the Celtics star and vice president of the players’ association, voiced his concern over the growing influence of gambling within the league’s environment.

Brown criticized the NBA for failing to do enough to protect its athletes, arguing that the pressure stemming from betting activity has created an increasingly hostile and negative climate both on and off the court.

The league hasn’t done enough to prepare and support players. There’s this idea that because we make a lot of money, we should be able to handle the pressure and negativity that come with betting – but all it does is create a toxic atmosphere around the game and the players.

Jaylen Brown

The situation is made worse by the fact that the NBA itself has signed commercial partnerships with several sports betting and gambling companies. These deals bring in massive revenue, and a growing number of franchises have also launched collaborations with such platforms. But according to Brown, this approach is coming at a real cost to players.

Everyone talks about growing the business, but I’m not sure enough is being done to address the consequences that come with it. We players don’t earn anything from betting, yet we’re the ones dealing with all the negativity it creates.

Jaylen Brown

Earlier this week, Commissioner Adam Silver called for stricter regulations on sports betting. He explained that the league has already asked its betting partners to withdraw certain player-specific prop bets, in an effort to prevent potential game manipulation and protect the integrity of competition.