Basketball is one of the most popular sports. The playoffs of the NBA tournament are watched by millions of viewers around the world. Betting on this sport are second only to football and cricket in terms of volume. This sport is not only popular among gambling people. Many professional basketball players bet regularly. Some of them were seen in Vegas and other gambling capitals of the world, while others do not hide their passion, talking about it in an interview. Considering the huge fees that professional athletes receive for their performances, players always have the means to continue playing at their favorite slots or tables for roulette, poker, blackjack.
Online betting among players in the NBA and other leagues is quite difficult to judge. The reason is that they are almost impossible to trace. Casinos try to provide a high level of security, so customer privacy remains a priority. Considering that most basketball players are tired of their fame and try to keep their personal lives a secret from the paparazzi, Golden Tiger Casino becomes a great option for gambling without publicity. The site offers a huge range of entertainment, including:
- games with live dealers;
- slot machines;
- card games.
The casino is available in the desktop format as well as a mobile version, which allows you to continue betting at every opportunity. Therefore, the winnings of the basketball players, which the whole world knows about, can be judged solely by their visits to ground-based halls. Physical casinos have not lost their charm. In them, you can not only hunt for the biggest winnings but also make new acquaintances, as well as use the services of a bar. A lot of NBA players spend their weekends in the casino with friends and relatives, which soon becomes known to fans.
Why do some athletes like gambling?
Casino betting attracts the attention of thousands of new users every day. Players can choose between the paid and free versions of the game according to their personal experience level. Famous personalities become casino customers for various reasons:
- the opportunity to risk a large amount in the hope of getting a solid reward;
- an additional opportunity to attract the attention of the press, which is especially important for young players or basketball players from little-known teams;
- obtaining an additional source of income;
- additional dose of adrenaline;
- love of competition.
Do not forget that casinos also benefit from visiting famous players. Many institutions sign contracts with basketball players who become their ambassadors. It should only be taken into account that players usually start advertising casinos after they leave big-time sports since major leagues have an ambiguous attitude towards gambling entertainment. Which of the NBA stars can be called a true gambler? Having carefully studied the issue, several players can be identified.
Sean Marion
NBA fans know this player well as a tenacious defender. He was able to stop even the best attackers, which helped his team to achieve outstanding victories. He was a member of the 2005 Phoenix Suns roster when the team managed to reach the playoff finals. Today Sean is a famous casino player. He often appears in the halls of institutions in Las Vegas. Among the most popular games he spends time playing is Texas Hold’em and Blackjack.
Shaquille O’Neal
If we talk about famous basketball players of all time, then Shaquille O’Neal will be among them. He has been a quarterback for many teams including the Lakers and Miami Heat. The basketball player left his career a long time ago but continues to actively comment on matches, participating in various analytical programs dedicated to basketball. In an interview with ESPN, the player admitted that he is a frequent customer of the casino. One night in Vegas, by his own account, he left over $200,000 in the casino. It is worth noting that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most commercially successful basketball players who managed to properly manage his earnings. Therefore, such a loss is not critical for him, and he says about his game: “I play because it’s fun.”
Charles Barkley
Many modern basketball players strive to be like the idols of past decades. Charles Barkley is not the last among them. During his career, he managed to set many records, speaking for:
- Houston Rockets;
- Philadelphia 76ers;
- Phoenix Suns.
He not only knows how to handle the ball well but is also a very charismatic person. In his autobiographical book, he devoted a lot of time to describing his addiction to gambling. He stated that he gambles regularly as it allows him to take his mind off work and spend time with friends who are also gamblers. In an interview, he said that he lost about 10 million dollars on bets. One of the player’s debts of $400,000 even became a reason for litigation.
Seth Curry
Unlike other representatives of this list of basketball players, Seth Curry is an active player. Currently defending the colors of the Brooklyn Nets team. He is the younger brother of the equally famous GSV player Staff Curry. Seth notes that he regularly plays at land-based casinos, and also has accounts on several online platforms. Most often it can be seen in the halls of Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The player likes not only the betting process but also the atmosphere of luxurious casinos, each of which has its unique architectural style.
Antoine Walker
Much of Antoine Walker’s success is due to Michael Jordan, who has yet to be discussed. Antoine closely followed the star he played on the same team, which allowed him to adopt a piece of the genius of one of the legendary basketball players of the NBA Hall of Fame. In addition to playing on the court, he also often places bets in the casino. Antoine admitted in an interview that he had left several million dollars in the casino all the time. The inability to stop in time led to the fact that he eventually went bankrupt in 2006.
Isaiah Thomas
Thomas shows excellent results on the basketball court and is also a gambler outside of it. The player is primarily interested in bones. This is one of the players who even turned out to be the defendant in the FBI investigation. In particular, the special services checked Thomas for involvement in illegal games. According to the results of the investigation, the detectives were unable to find hard evidence that would confirm their guilt of Thomas.
Michael Jordan
If you need to rank the people who have done the most to popularize basketball in the world, then Michael Jordan would take the first line. He is the name that most people will name first when asked to list their favorite NBA players. Michael Jordan has a charisma that makes him interesting not only for sports fans. He is also an excellent conversationalist and business partner. Suffice it to say that this is the richest basketball player on the planet, although during his career the fees of top players were several times lower than today.
Michael Jordan is out of competition – six times he became the most valuable player in the NBA Finals. 10 times Michael was a member of the symbolic team and 10 times was recognized as the best striker in the league. His star continues to shine brightly beyond the basketball court. He frequents the gambling establishments of Atlantic City. He often says that he is a gambler. Michael’s friends also testify to this. The latter note that Jordan simply loves to bet. He once lost $1 million by making a friendly bet on the outcome of his own game on the golf course.
J. R. Smith
Each player must independently find the optimal balance between work and entertainment. Some set time limits, while others use a monetary limit. J. R. Smith, a longtime New York Knicks player, solved the problem of losing fortunes in casinos in a radical way. From each salary, he set aside a certain percentage in a special suitcase. When the opportunity arose, he went to the casino with a suitcase and could spend at least the entire amount that was in it but did not use the money in his wallet or on plastic cards. He describes this system after his cottage was robbed. The thieves took away not only the equipment but also a suitcase, which at that time contained 15 thousand dollars.
Charles Oakley
Basketball players not only compete on the court but often meet off it. If we are talking about bets in a casino, then we should note the fact that they are periodically sent to well-known establishments in whole groups.
An interesting situation occurred during a dice game between Tyrone Hill and Charles Oakley. Hill, after another evening at the casino, was left indebted to Oakley and was in no hurry to repay the debt. As a result, the situation escalated into a conflict, during which Charles attacked Tyrone with basketballs during training. The problem was that they were players on the same team and it was difficult to talk about coordinated actions on the court. The conflict was repeated during the preseason game, for which Oakley was eventually “awarded” a $10,000 fine.
These are just the most striking examples of how players spend their time betting in a casino. Each of them has their preferences, as well as favorite places. The same Seth Curry plays in Vegas, while Jordan prefers Atlantic City. It is also worth noting that not every player knows how to manage their bankroll correctly. As a result of rash actions, you can find yourself in the situation of Antoine Walker, who had to declare bankruptcy. Therefore, casino customers should always keep track of the deposit, and the time spent in the game and remember that it is impossible to win back on slot machines. The result of the session will depend solely on luck.
