Fan Forum: Gambling a Major Problem for NBA, But League Shouldn’t Ban It

What better way to unwind after a tough road game than a casual game of boo-ray on the team plane? A good number of NBA players would probably say there isn’t one — even if the Louisiana card game has led to two high-profile altercations in the past year.

Lengthy road trips have led a huge portion of NBA players to a specific activity to pass the time — gambling on cards.

As a result, Gilbert Arenas brought a gun to the Wizards locker room as a “prank” on Javaris Crittenton, who owed him some boo-ray debt, and found himself suspended for half of a season and in legal trouble.

This year, boo-ray debt led to an altercation between Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo on the Memphis Grizzlies’ team plane, leading to coach Lionel Hollins banning the activity.

Doc Rivers, though, responded by saying that, “If you cancel the card game on the plane and they really want to play, then they’ll just play in their rooms. I’m not going to babysit adults.”

Even though gambling has long been considered an epidemic among NBA players, making rules about it is just impractical. Rivers is right that you won’t be able to stop players from doing as they please, and NBA players are adults that are supposed to take care of themselves.

Despite the two incidents, many NBA players gamble on cards without any problems. That’s because the problem isn’t really boo-ray.

Interestingly enough, both incidents involved a young player owing money to an embattled veteran on struggling teams. Arenas was already under fire in Washington prior to the Crittenton incident, and Allen’s career in Memphis hadn’t gotten off to an ideal start either. Given the circumstances, each probably had a shorter fuse than usual, team chemistry was likely in peril, and the young players simply weren’t mature enough quell their anger effectively.

Gambling debt may have been the proximate cause of the altercations, but tussles between under-fire veterans and immature rookies on mediocre teams are bound to happen on occasion — money and cards aside. To wholly place the blame on gambling would be rather unrealistic.

To believe a flat out ban on gambling in the NBA would be wise — given the realities of road trips, adulthood, and enforcement — would be even more unrealistic.

Should the NBA ban gambling for all teams? Leave your thoughts below.

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