Where Is Javaris Crittenton Now? 'Shooting Guards' Revisits Gun Scandal
Once a rising star in the NBA, Javaris Crittenton's career took a drastic turn after a now-infamous locker room incident involving guns and teammate Gilbert Arenas. The confrontation, once dismissed as a bizarre sports scandal, is now reexamined in Netflix's Untold: Shooting Guards. The documentary explores how that moment — and what followed — irreversibly changed Crittenton's life, leading to an unrelated manslaughter conviction and prison sentence. While Arenas moved on to become a media figure, Crittenton's path was shaped by tragedy, crime, and a long absence from public life.
The Untold episode debuts amid renewed interest in the 2009 confrontation, which saw the two Washington Wizards players pull guns on each other in the team's locker room. Crittenton, who never played in the NBA again, ultimately served time for a fatal shooting in 2011. He was released from prison in 2023 and is now on probation, working with young men in Atlanta and attempting to reshape his narrative.
Why It Matters
The case remains one of the most notorious off-court incidents in NBA history, and Netflix's latest installment of Untold brings new attention to the personal and societal consequences of that moment. Titled Shooting Guards, the documentary frames the episode not as an isolated lapse but as a turning point that derailed two careers — especially that of Crittenton, who went from top NBA draft pick to convicted felon.
Former Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton appears in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Sept. 27, 2011. On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Crittenton pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2011 shooting death of a...
Former Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton appears in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Sept. 27, 2011. On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Crittenton pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2011 shooting death of a mother of four and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. More
David Goldman/AP Photos
What Happened Between Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas?
Javaris Crittenton was selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA Draft, joining a class that included Kevin Durant and Al Horford. After brief stints with the Lakers and Grizzlies, he landed with the Washington Wizards. It was there, in December 2009, that tensions with teammate Gilbert Arenas boiled over after a gambling dispute. According to People, Arenas brought unloaded firearms into the team locker room during practice, mocking Crittenton after a card game loss. Crittenton then pulled a loaded gun from his locker, prompting teammates to flee and ultimately setting off a public scandal.
The NBA suspended both players for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. Arenas returned to the NBA, while Crittenton was released and never played another game.
In April 2023, Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas reunited on Gil's Arena to reflect on their fallout. Despite legal advice to avoid contact, they said they kept in touch throughout the scandal.
"It's crazy because even though we were going through that situation, we were still talking — even though the lawyers were like, 'Oh, don't talk to him right now.' We were still doing our thing," Gilbert said on the episode.
Where is Javaris Crittenton Now?
In 2011, Crittenton was arrested and later convicted in connection with the fatal shooting of Julian Jones, a 22-year-old mother of four in Atlanta. Prosecutors said his bullet accidentally hit Jones while seeking revenge for a robbery, according to AP News. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in 2015 and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Crittenton was released from prison in 2023 after serving 10 years, People reported. His sentence was reduced and under the terms of his probation, he must abide by a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew and complete 7,200 hours of community service over the next decade, People reported.
Since his release, Crittenton has been coaching a youth basketball team and speaking at community centers like the Next Level Boys Academy in Atlanta. In 2024, he welcomed a new son and continues to post about family life on social media.
What is Javaris Crittenton's Net Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Crittenton earned approximately $4.1 million during his short NBA career. As of 2025, the outlet reported that his net worth is estimated to be just $10,000.
What People Are Saying
Javaris Crittenton posted about his family to Instagram on March 31: "I'll do whatever for them. I just want to keep a smile on their faces and always make them happy."
Reddit user named u/pwilson319 posted on May 6: "There were truly no winners in this documentary. It was nice to see Gil self aware, but holy s***, he was an absolute a**; unsurprisingly there wasn't a leader in sight to tell Gil to chill the f*** out. Javaris isn't absolved either. Again, glad he acknowledged his mistakes but it felt like his reflections were just excuses...maybe I'm just being jaded? Hopefully he can get his life together and continue to make amends. I remember being excited to watch this but it was a brutal reminder of the many warts of this franchise."
What's Next
Untold: Shooting Guards premiered on May 6 and is streaming now on Netflix. The next episode of the series drops on May 13. Titled Untold: The Liver King, the documentary follows Brian Johnson's journey from raw-meat influencer to internet celebrity, featuring interviews with family and partners and revealing how a steroid scandal shattered his all-natural image and sparked widespread backlash, according to Netflix's Tudum.
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New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ranking NBA 2025 offseason for every team Nos. 20-11: Where do Knicks, Sixers, Bulls fall?
After going through the bottom-10 teams in the first part of my annual recap of every NBA team's offseason, we arrive at the 10 in the middle. The top 10 will be revealed Thursday. Again, for the uninitiated: These aren't power rankings. They're just an opinion of how well each team did, or didn't, improve during the offseason. Most importantly: • If your team is ranked in the top 10, it doesn't mean I love your team. • If your team is ranked in the bottom 10, it doesn't mean I hate your team. Advertisement The one big question: Is the team better now than at the end of last season? The ranking reflects the belief on whether, and how much, that is so. In the meantime, we continue with teams 20-11. Most of these teams made significant changes to their roster, both through the draft and trades, and they either fit the direction in which the team was already going or were a welcome corrective to a philosophy that wasn't working. David Aldridge's 2025 offseason rankings: Nos. 30-21 2024-25 record: 49-33; lost in Western Conference finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-1 Added: C Joan Beringer (first round, 17th pick); C Rocco Zikarsky (draft rights acquired from Lakers via Bulls, two-way); F Enrique Freeman (two-way); Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore approved as co-owners Lost: F Nickeil Alexander-Walker (signed with Hawks); C Luka Garza (signed with Celtics); F/C Rasheer Fleming (draft rights traded to Suns); C Jesse Edwards (waived) Retained: F Julius Randle (three years, $100M); F/C Naz Reid (five years, $125M); F Joe Ingles (one year, $3.6M) Extended: None Returning from injury: None The skinny: Another team whose success forced it to make tough second apron calls. In Minnesota's case, it couldn't bring back all of Reid, Randle and Alexander-Walker in free agency, so the Wolves are betting that second-year man Terrence Shannon Jr. can take up some of the slack from NAW's departure. Interesting that the Wolves drafted and traded for multiple bigs in the draft. Rudy Gobert is still pretty good most nights — ask the Lakers about Game 5 of their series with Minny — but he's starting to slow some at 33, and he's expensive, and …well, they got multiple bigs out of the draft. Do what you will with that information. 2024-25 record: 36-46; did not make playoffs Advertisement Added: G Damian Lillard (three years, $42M); Jrue Holiday (acquired from Celtics); G Blake Wesley (one year, $2.3M); C Yang Hansen (draft rights acquired from Grizzlies); G Caleb Love (two-way); G Sean Pedulla (Exhibit 10); F Andrew Carr (Exhibit 10); investment group led by Tom Dundon in agreement to purchase Trail Blazers Lost: G Anfernee Simons (traded to Celtics); C Deandre Ayton (waived after contract buyout via stretch provision) Retained: None Returning from injury: C Robert Williams III (arthroscopic surgery, left knee) The skinny: Whether or not Lillard, who tore his Achilles in April, plays a second this season for the Blazers doesn't matter; this is a win-win, with Lillard again being able to mentor Scoot Henderson while getting a year to rehab in familiar environs. Portland thinks Yang has a chance to be a star. But most everyone else had a second-round grade on him pre-draft. And, the Blazers had plenty of big-man depth already in Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III and Duop Reath. Hey, go for Yang if you believe in him. But he had better pan out. Similarly, the Blazers need Holiday to help lift them to playoff level. It better work, considering they gave up the (nine years) younger Simons in the exchange. 2024-25 record: 39-43; lost in Play-In round Added: F Isaac Okoro (acquired from Cavaliers); F Noa Essengue (first round, 12th pick); C Lachlan Olbrich (two-way); F Emanuel Miller (two-way); G Yuki Kawamura (two-way); G Caleb Grill (Exhibit 10); G Wooga Poplar (Exhibit 10) Lost: G Lonzo Ball (traded to Cavaliers); C Rocco Zikarsky (draft rights traded to Timberwolves); G Jahmir Young (waived) Retained: G Tre Jones (three years, $24M) Extended: Coach Billy Donovan Returning from injury: G Ayo Dosunmu (left shoulder subluxation); Jones (left foot sprain) Advertisement The skinny: The Bulls aren't getting any points for speed, but they continued their methodical buildup by drafting Essengue, who could team up nicely with last year's first-round pick, Matas Buzelis, and form a promising young forward tandem. Coby White's big jump the last two years made Ball expendable, so getting more length and defensive versatility in Okoro for him was a decent return. Getting Josh Giddey extended before camp is the next expected step. But at some point, Chicago is going to have to be more intentional in making bigger moves that can get it out of Play-In round hell. Unless it's cool staying in Play-In round hell. 2024-25 record: 40-42; lost in Play-In round Added: G Dennis Schröder (three years, $45M); F Dario Šarić (acquired from Denver); F Doug McDermott (one year, $3.6M); F Drew Eubanks (one year, $3.1M); F Nique Clifford (draft rights acquired from Thunder); C Maxime Raynaud (second round, 42nd pick); G Daeqwon Plowden (two-way); G Isaiah Stephens (two-way); C Dylan Cardwell (two-way); F Pat McCaffery (Exhibit 10); G Isaac Nogueś Gonzalez (Exhibit 10); 2029 second-round pick (acquired from Pistons); 2029 second-round pick (acquired from Pistons) Lost: C Jonas Valančiūnas (traded to Nuggets); F Jake LaRavia (signed with Lakers); 2027 first-round pick (traded to Thunder); 2026 second-round pick (traded to Pistons) Retained: F Keon Ellis (team exercised $2.3M option for 2025-26); C Isaac Jones (team exercised $1.9 option for 2025-26) Extended: None Returning from injury: G Malik Monk (left calf strain) The skinny: Don't love the JV-Šarić swap. Yes, you save a little money (and maybe that's how Sac could afford Schröder), but you're still losing Valančiūnas's value as one of the better backup centers in the league. Schröder has been solid in most of his non-Warriors stops over the years; his toughness should help. And Sacramento did well in the draft, considering its positioning; coming away with two solid rotational pieces in Clifford and Raynaud was quality work from new GM Scott Perry and his front office. If Sac manages to snag Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors after this is published, I'll revise the offseason … upward. Advertisement 2024-25 record: 24-58; did not make playoffs Added: F Trendon Watford (two years, $5.3M); G V.J. Edgecombe (first round, third pick); F Johni Broome (second round, 35th pick); G Hunter Sallis (two-way); F Dominick Barlow (two-way); F Jabari Walker (two-way); F/C Igor Miličić Jr. (Exhibit 10); F Izan Almanza (Exhibit 10) Lost: F Guerschon Yabusele (signed with Knicks); G Ricky Council IV (waived); F Alex Reese (waived) Retained: F Kelly Oubre (player option, $8.4M); G Eric Gordon (one year, $6.3M); C Andre Drummond (player option, $5M); G Kyle Lowry (one year, $3.6M); G Justin Edwards (three years, $7.1M) Extended: None Returning from injury: C Joel Embiid (arthroscopic surgery, left knee); F Paul George (left adductor, left knee injuries); G Tyrese Maxey (sprained right finger); G Jared McCain (torn meniscus, left knee) The skinny: You can definitely see a post-Embiid skeleton coming into shape in Philly, with McCain, Maxey and Edgecombe becoming a potentially wildly fun trio in the coming years. For now, Philly still holds out hope that the 31-year-Embiid can finally recover after getting shut down the last seven weeks of the regular season to have his meniscus repaired. But that's a hope that has fallen on deaf ears in the Philadelphia fan base, who've increasingly tuned the 76ers out. It's hard to see Philly going past next season with the big man as its lodestar if he can't show definitively that he can again handle the load of 60-plus games and get to the playoffs healthy. 2024-25 record: 51-31; lost in Eastern Conference finals to the Indiana Pacers, 4-2 Added: F Guerschon Yabusele (two years, $11.2M); G Jordan Clarkson (one year, $3.6M); F Mohamed Diawara (draft rights acquired from Clippers); F/C Luka Mitrović (draft rights acquired from Clippers); F Dink Pate (Exhibit 10); hired coach Mike Brown Advertisement Lost: G Kobe Sanders (draft rights traded to Clippers); F P.J. Tucker (team declined 2025-26 option); fired coach Tom Thibodeau Retained: C Ariel Hukporti (team exercised $1.96M 2025-26 option) Extended: F Mikal Bridges (four years, $150M) Returning from injury: None The skinny: If the Knicks hadn't fired Thibs after the franchise's most successful season in a quarter-century, they'd be ranked higher. If the Knicks hadn't brought in two quality vets in Yabusele and Clarkson to improve their middling bench, they'd be ranked lower. Brown isn't materially different from Thibodeau defensively; the hope is he can make New York a little more diverse offensively — in a different voice. He is a two-time Coach of the Year with more than 450 wins on his ledger, so it's not a bad bet on management's part. But the expectations after making the conference finals — yet still letting Thibodeau go — are ginormous. 2024-25 record: 48-34; lost in Eastern Conference first round to the Indiana Pacers, 4-1 Added: C Myles Turner (four years, $108M); G Cole Anthony (two years, $5.6M); G Gary Harris (two years, $7.5M); F Bogoljub Marković (second round, 47th pick); F Amir Coffey (one year); G Mark Sears (two-way) Lost: C Brook Lopez (signed with Clippers); G Damian Lillard (buyout via stretch provision); G Pat Connaughton (traded to Hornets); G Vasilije Micić (waived following buyout) Retained: F Bobby Portis (three years, $44M); G Gary Trent, Jr. (two years, $7.4M); F Taurean Prince (two years, $7.1M); G Kevin Porter, Jr. (two years, $10.5M); C Jericho Sims (two years, $5.2M); G Ryan Rollins (three years, $12M); F Chris Livingston (one year, $2.3M) Extended: None Returning from injury: None The skinny: You can't say the Bucks don't turn over every stone to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. They've burned through much of their future draft stock; they've cycled through coaches; they've traded impact players — and now, they're setting $113 million on fire by waving Lillard and stretching his contract to be able to sign Turner. Turner's a great fit, and he's eight years younger than Lopez. And it was easier cutting Lillard knowing he's likely to miss the season. And Anthony will pick up some of the slack. But, still. No one's ever eaten this much money before. Milwaukee's financial flexibility will be compromised through the rest of the Greek Freak's prime. Advertisement 2024-25 record: 64-18; lost in Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers, 4-1 Added: G Lonzo Ball (acquired from Chicago); F Larry Nance Jr. (one year, $3.6M); G Tyrese Proctor (second round, 49th pick); F Saliou Niang (second round, 58th pick); G Luke Travers (two-way); F Chaney Johnson (Exhibit 10); F Norchad Omier (Exhibit 10) Lost: F Isaac Okoro (traded to Chicago); G Ty Jerome (signed with Grizzlies); F Chuma Okeke (team declined 2025-26 option) Retained: G Sam Merrill (four years, $38M) Extended: GM Koby Altman Returning from injury: G Darius Garland (left toe surgery) The skinny: The Cavs enter a key year of their contending window with their current core. Ball should be both a schematic and rotational fit, finally giving Cleveland a defensive-oriented guard with size to play alongside Garland and/or Donovan Mitchell. But Cleveland still feels a shooter short after losing Jerome and his .437 firepower from deep over the past two seasons. A full year of De'Andre Hunter will help some in that regard, but the Cavs got worked by Indiana in the second round, and 3-point shooting was a key culprit. Cleveland went 57 of 194 from deep against Indiana: .294. Yikes. 2024-25 record: 18-64; did not make playoffs Added: G CJ McCollum (acquired from Pelicans); F Cam Whitmore (acquired from Rockets); G Malaki Branham (acquired from Spurs); G Dillon Jones (acquired from Thunder); C Marvin Bagley III (one year, $2.2M); G Tre Johnson (first round, sixth pick); F Will Riley (draft rights acquired from Jazz); F Jamir Watkins (second round, 43rd pick); G Kadary Richmond (Exhibit 10); G Keshon Gilbert (Exhibit 10); 2026 second-round pick (acquired from Spurs); 2027 second-round pick (acquired from Hornets); 2029 second-round pick (acquired from Thunder); 2031 second-round pick (acquired from Jazz); 2032 second-round pick (acquired from Jazz) Advertisement Lost: G Jordan Poole (traded to Pelicans); F Saddiq Bey (traded to Pelicans); F/C Kelly Olynyk (traded to Spurs); F Colby Jones (traded to Thunder); G Marcus Smart (waived following buyout); C Richaun Holmes (waived); G Blake Wesley (waived after buyout); F Jaylen Martin (waived); G Walter Clayton, Jr. (draft rights traded to Jazz); F Micah Peavy (draft rights traded to Pelicans); 2026 second-round pick (traded to Rockets); 2029 second-round pick (traded to Rockets) Retained: C Tristan Vukčević (two-way); F Anthony Gill (one year, $2.67M) Extended: None Returning from injury: F Bilal Coulibaly (right hamstring); F Corey Kispert (left thumb surgery) The skinny: Washington crapped out in the lottery, but did well by getting the sharpshooting Johnson at No. 6, then acquiring the 21-year-old Whitmore from Houston. Both should immediately leap to the top of the Wizards' offensive chart. Washington thinks Riley has real playmaking potential. McCollum is this year's rinse-and-repeat veteran who'll be in town for a while before moving on. The bump up in offensive talent and improvement from the returning core should mean a few more wins next season, but not enough of them to jeopardize the Wizards' chief goal — holding onto their 2026 first-rounder by being a bottom-eight team. 2024-25 record: 17-65, did not make playoffs Added: F Kevin Love (acquired from Heat); F Kyle Anderson (acquired from Heat); C Jusuf Nurkić (acquired from Hornets); F Georges Niang (acquired from Celtics); F Ace Bailey (first round, fifth pick); G Walter Clayton, Jr. (draft rights acquired from Wizards); G John Tonje (second round, 53rd pick); F Oscar Tshiebwe (two-way); C Steven Crowl (Exhibit 10); G Matthew Murrell (Exhibit 10); 2027 second-round pick (acquired from Clippers); 2027 second-round pick (acquired from Celtics); 2031 second-round pick (acquired from Celtics); hired president of basketball operations Austin Ainge Advertisement Lost: G Collin Sexton (traded to Hornets); F/C John Collins (traded to Clippers); F RJ Luis Jr. (traded to Celtics); G Jordan Clarkson (waived after contract buyout; signed with Knicks); G Johnny Juzang (waived); G Jaden Springer (waived); F Will Riley (draft rights traded to Wizards); 2025 second-round pick (traded to Wizards); 2030 second-round pick (traded to Hornets) 2031 second-round pick (traded to Wizards); 2032 second-round pick (traded to Wizards) Retained: None Extended: None Returning from injury: F Cody Williams (mononucleosis); F Taylor Hendricks (fractured right fibula/dislocated right ankle) The skinny: It's all about Ace. If he's actually cool now with playing in the Wasatch, the Jazz had a great draft. He's a huge talent, and his ceiling is worth taking the big swing. But if this blows up in Utah's face in two or three years … oy. Ainges pere et fils don't blink, though, and they'll do everything needed to surround Bailey with the personal and team support needed for him to get off to a good start. Clayton is just the kind of high-character, winning player the Jazz needed more of in their building. Another lottery season awaits, but there's a Rockets-like path back to relevance through the draft to which Utah appears to be committed. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Ryan Stetz / NBAE, Amanda Loman, Michael Reaves /Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Cowboys legend Michael Irvin reveals details of cocaine arrest
Dallas Cowboys legendary wide receiver Michael Irvin opened up about an incident where he was arrested for cocaine possession in the prime years of the team's 1990s dynasty. During the seventh episode of the Netflix docuseries "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys," Irvin spoke about the March 1996 incident that saw him arrested and eventually tried for cocaine possession. It came just one month after the team won its third Super Bowl in a four-year span, as Irvin had cemented himself as a league superstar and future Hall of Famer. "I had a routine, after you win the Super Bowl, before the next season starts, you get about a month, and that month you cut loose and have a good time," Irvin said of the incident that occurred just before his March 5 birthday. The documentary showed that, on March 4, 1996, police found Irvin, his former Cowboys teammate Alfredo Roberts and two females in a Texas hotel room with drug paraphernalia, sex toys, marijuana and cocaine. A hidden camera video showed Irvin discussing doing cocaine while in the passenger seat of car. Irvin faced potentially 20 years in prison. But he ultimately pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges. He was also suspended the first five games of the 1996 season. Still, the incident resulted in a difficult conversation with his wife, Sandy Harrell. "My wife, she looked at me and she said, 'Don't say a word, God has already told me I am your wife and I am not going anywhere. But you have to make your peace with God,'" Irvin said in the documentary. "I don't think I ever felt worse in my life."
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
How the NBA got rid of microbets — and why it could be a blueprint for MLB
Sixteen months after a landmark decision opened the door for legal sports gambling in the United States, a high-ranking NFL executive sat before a House committee in the fall of 2019 to ask for help banishing a particular type of bet that has drawn the ire of sports leagues across the country. Proposition bets, better known as 'prop bets,' allow wagers not on the outcomes of games but on occurrences during them. A wager could be on the result the first play of a game, the first pitch of an inning or whether a player will compile over or under a certain number of rebounds, strikeouts or rushing yards. Leagues, as the NFL indicated that day in front of lawmakers, consider such props troublesome and more easily manipulated because many hinge on the actions of just one player. 'These types of bets are significantly more susceptible to match-fixing efforts and are therefore a source of concern to sports leagues, individual teams and the athletes who compete,' NFL Executive Vice President Jocelyn Moore testified in 2019. (Moore, who has served on the board of directors of DraftKings since 2020, declined to comment.) Had you placed a bet then that prop bets would go away, you would have ended up a loser. When the NFL staged the Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots five months after the NFL's testimony, bettors could still choose among hundreds of prop bets. And six years later, they are still a source of headlines, concern for leagues and income for sportsbooks. In 2024, the NBA banned the Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter for life for sports betting after an investigation found he had, among other findings, 'limited his own participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game.' In June, reports surfaced that a federal investigation into longtime NBA guard Malik Beasley was related to activity around prop bets. 'I do think some of the bets are problematic," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in July, the month Major League Baseball placed a Cleveland Guardians pitcher on paid leave while it investigated unusually high wagers on the first pitches of innings on June 15 and June 27, ESPN reported. Weeks later, after MLB placed a second Guardians pitcher on leave as part of a sports gambling investigation, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told a group of baseball writers that there were 'certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable, things where it's one single act [and] doesn't affect the outcome, necessarily.' Whether MLB considers prop bets 'unnecessary' enough to try to have its gambling partners restrict the kinds that are offered is unclear. But if MLB does, it might look to the NBA for a possible blueprint. During the 2024-25 NBA season, the league's gambling partners including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and several others who make up upward of 95% of the legal U.S. sportsbooks agreed to no longer offer 'under' prop bets on players either on 10-day or two-way contracts. (Porter had been on a two-way contract.) Fans could still bet on the sport's big names, like Stephen Curry's 3-pointers or LeBron James' rebounds — but legal sports betting operators in the United States were no longer offering action on the NBA's lowest-paid players. The decision wasn't a mandate handed down solely by the NBA. 'We do not have control over the specific bets that are made on our game,' Silver said in July. Years earlier, the league had sought just that type of power, but it was unsuccessful in persuading state lawmakers to pass legislation that would have given the NBA the right to approve what types of bets could be offered on the league. It also doesn't hold veto rights over what its gambling partners can and cannot offer, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Instead, much like the NFL's attempt in its congressional testimony six years earlier, the NBA had to ask for help. Representatives for DraftKings and FanDuel didn't respond to requests for comment on their back-and-forth with the league that led to the decisions to restrict certain prop bets. Multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on sensitive discussions said the league had to rely on making the case to its partners that prop bets on 10-day and two-way players weren't worth the relatively small amount of business they brought in. 'It's a small part of the marketplace,' a person involved in the process said, 'but had outsized integrity risks.' Such dialogue between a league and a sportsbook would have been unthinkable before the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to overturn a federal prohibition on sports gambling freed states to decide whether to permit legal sports betting. (Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia allow sports gambling, and Missouri is set to launch its own operation in December.) Almost overnight, leagues and sportsbooks that once steered clear of one another were now in business together. Sometimes, the back-and-forth between a league and its sportsbook partners has stopped bets from appearing before they are even listed. In 2020, with leagues still months away from making a pandemic comeback, ESPN scrambled to fill programming that included NBA players' competing against one another in video games and even HORSE. As those competitions were announced, the NBA was contacted by betting operators and regulators who wanted to know whether betting odds should be offered on the unusual action, according to the sources with knowledge of the situation. The NBA strongly advised against it because the tournaments had been tape-delayed, meaning a handful of people already knew the outcomes and could benefit from that information if bets were offered. Sportsbooks agreed. The NFL recently has also found success restricting certain types of prop bets, this time through legislation. The Illinois Gaming Board in February approved the NFL's request to prohibit 10 types of what it classified as 'objectionable wagers,' including whether a kicker would miss a field goal or an extra point and whether quarterback's first pass of a game would be incomplete — the same type of 'single-actor' bets that leagues have come out against and that have reportedly sparked investigations into multiple athletes. By seeking to influence which bets are offered, leagues and their gambling partners are attempting a delicate balance of limiting bets they consider risks to the integrity of their games while still ensuring that enough betting options are offered to keep fans wagering their dollars in legal markets, rather than through offshore sportsbooks where tracking suspicious activity is much more opaque. Proponents of sports betting suggest that although the headlines about players or league staffers being investigated, or caught, for betting manipulation isn't good public relations for the sports, they're a sign that a 'complex system that detects aberrational behavior,' as Silver said in July, is working as intended. As part of their partnership agreements, leagues, betting operators and so-called integrity firms have data-sharing agreements that allow them to communicate with one another to monitor suspicious activity. "The transparency inherent with legalized sports betting has become a significant asset in protecting the integrity of athletic competition," DraftKings said in a statement. "Unlike the pre-legalization era, when threats were far more difficult to detect, the regulated industry now provides increased oversight and accountability that helps to identify potentially suspicious activity.' In the case of the pair of Cleveland Guardian pitchers, the Ohio Casino Control Commission was notified June 30 by a licensed Ohio sportsbook about suspicious wagering on Guardians games and 'was also promptly contacted by Major League Baseball regarding the events,' a commission spokesperson said in a statement. 'Under the Commission's statutory responsibilities, an independent investigation commenced.' It's why leagues and sportsbook operators consider restricting bets a fine line. 'If you have sweeping prohibitions on that type of a bet, you're taking away the ability for your league to ensure the integrity of that activity,' said Joe Maloney, a senior vice president for strategic communications at the American Gaming Association. 'You will not have the ability to work with an integrity monitor to identify any irregular betting activity on such a legal market. You will not have the collaboration of a legal operator who will share that information. You will not have the collaboration of a legal operator to say to them, 'Here's the do-not-fly list for betting activity for our league: employees, club employees, trainers, athletic officials, referees,' etc. ... 'Betting engagement on prop bets is largely a reflection of fandom. And so, by pushing that away, I think you absolutely lose the ability to properly oversee it and to root out the bad actors that would seem to exploit it. Because it will still take place.' In 2022, legal sports betting accounted for $6.8 billion in legal revenue, while illegal sports betting accounted for about $3.8 billion, according to research from the American Gaming Association, a trade association. Last year, it estimated that revenue from legal sports betting rose to $16 billion, while the illegal market grew to about $5 billion. A 2024 analysis by the International Betting Integrity Association, a nonprofit integrity firm made up of licensed gambling operators, questioned the efficacy of restricting prop bets. The IBIA reported that 59 out of 360,000 basketball games that had been offered for betting from 2017 to 2023 were 'the subject of suspicious betting.' 'There was no suspicious betting activity linked to match manipulation identified on player prop markets,' the IBIA report said. 'There is no meaningful integrity benefit from excluding such markets, which are widely available globally. Prohibiting those products will make offshore operators more attractive.' By persuading its partners to keep some prop bets off the books, the NBA nonetheless provided a precedent for how to remove bets leagues have considered, to use Manfred's term, 'unnecessary.' Would MLB, amid an ongoing investigation into two pitchers, follow? Unlike the NBA, MLB doesn't have easily defined classifications of contracts such as 10-day and two-way players. One method could instead be to target so-called first-pitch microbets. MLB is having 'ongoing conversations' related to gambling, according to a person with knowledge of the league's thinking. If baseball were to make such a push against microbets, its reasoning might mirror the NBA's last year, said Gill Alexander, a longtime sports betting commentator for VSiN. 'I think basically baseball's point would be, you know, this is the type of prop that is just begging for trouble, right?' Alexander said. Ohio, for one, would most likely agree. Last month, Gov. Mike DeWine asked the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban prop bets on 'highly specific events within games that are completely controlled by one player," he said in a news release, while asking the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA and MLS commissioners to support his stance. 'The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly,' DeWine said. Alexander said: 'I do think that we're in the era now where these leagues can exert some influence on these sports books, as long as it is of no financial pain to the sports books. This is one of these instances where, really, I don't agree with Rob Manfred every day, but I actually think he's probably going to get what he wants here.'
