Known Aggravator Rudy Gobert angered another group of people on Friday night, and yet i get up Not remarkable in itself, what the Frenchman did to win a technique is interesting. In the final seconds of the Cleveland-Minnesota game with his team leading by one point, the Timberwolves center was whistled for his sixth foul, and as he walked off the floor, he did the money-making Johnny Manziel made famous.
Darius Garland redeemed the gift and sent it into overtime where the T-Wolves were outscored, 16-7, for a 113-104 loss. It was the second back-to-back games for Gobert's already undermanned team, and afterward, he acknowledged his mistake but said the gesture was genuine.
“My reaction, which I think is true — it's what I truly believe — even if it's true, it wasn't the time to react that way.” Gobert said afterward. “I shouldn't have done that. I cost my team the game and apparently, they were eager to give me a tech. This was bad. That was an immature reaction.”
Asked to clarify his stance, the 11-year-old center singled out the legalization of sports betting in the US.
“I'll bite the bullet again” Gobert said. “I'll be the bad guy. I'll take the fine, but I think it hurts our game. I know the stakes and all of this are getting higher and higher, but I shouldn't feel that way.
“I made some mistakes. I aired a dunk. Mistakes happen. Referees make mistakes too. But sometimes I think it's more than mistakes. I think everyone in this league knows. I think it needs to improve.”
Expect NBA commissioner Adam Silver to happily oblige with a fine, because this is the same league that had to fire a referee for doing exactly what Gobert implied last night. Tim Donaghy, Tim Donaghy, Tim Donaghy. Sorry, just typing three times quickly to make sure it's safe to mention his name.
It's only a matter of time before another match-fixing scandal occurs. Just this week, more details emerged about it team employee who embezzled $22 million from the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Amit Patel's actions had nothing to do with the integrity of the games, his lawyer said “99 percent” of the stolen money was used to fuel his client's gambling addiction.
There needs to be more oversight from sports franchises and college programs because there are now paper trails due to sports betting apps. Leagues and franchises should know if a team employee has hundreds of thousands, let alone millions, in gambling debt, and so should the companies those leagues work with. I mean, good lord, Patel was gambling with Jags' COMPANY CREDIT CARD. That should have triggered some sort of flag.
I don't want to continue the badge of virtue, and I won't, because I don't need to. Since sports books have become legal and more accessible across America, we have seen an increase in incredibly stupid behavior from coaches, players and gambling addicts alike. There hasn't been another Donaghy situation yet, although I should mention the former NBA referee admitted to having a gambling problem during the ensuing court proceedings that led to the 15-month prison sentence.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Rudy Gobert is right. You shouldn't feel that betting hurts sports, but that feeling is growing in frequency.
