Report: Bill Simmons Forced to Withdraw NBA MVP Vote Because He Bet on LeBron James to Win Award

ESPN/Grantland.com writer Bill Simmons often mentions the caveat "if gambling were legal…" in either his columns or podcasts discussing sports gambling. It's the Sports Guy's way of alluding to a bet without actually mentioning specifics.

His betting habits are news now, as Simmons reportedly placed a bet on LeBron James to win the NBA's MVP award. That isn't exactly a huge deal, except for the fact that Simmons has an MVP vote. Because of that fact, he has withdrawn his MVP vote — for James — according to Business Insider.

Business Insider reports that Simmons wasn't planning on withdrawing his ballot until they started investigating deeper. Business Insider also got this statement from ESPN.

"Bill had never received a ballot before and didn't find out he had one until two-thirds of the season had passed. By that time he had made multiple MVP bets, two of which he had discussed on podcasts. He ended up withdrawing his MVP vote to avoid the perception of any conflict."

ESPN has no policy demanding its analysts reveal when they make bets.