Ja Morant was issued a technical foul for asking a referee if he had placed a bet with FanDuel during the first quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies’ 109-106 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Over the past few years, several states have legalized sports betting and it’s become quite common for sports organizations to talk about betting.
For some reason, Morant thought it would be a good idea to ask a ref about placing bets and received a tech for his troubles. Grizzlies beat writer Damichael Cole claims that a fan sitting courtside told him that Morant asked the referee if he was playing on FanDuel, a sports betting app.
Asking a ref, especially in the NBA, if they bet on a game as an athlete can be considered incredibly inappropriate and could possibly lead to even further punishment so the league doesn’t have to worry about other players trying to do the same.
As you know, Tim Donaghy worked in the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons from 1994 to 2007 until he was caught in a gambling scandal. During his career in the NBA, Donaghy officiated in 772 regular season games and 20 playoff games.
The NBA would love to stay away from another scandal that big.
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In 35 minutes, Morant amassed 30 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
