As sports gambling has gotten bigger and bigger in the United States, Chicago Bulls players and everyone around the league are inevitably going to be affected. Whether it be fans yelling out from the crowd about their parlays or people watching sports purely for the sake of their bets, it’s an inevitability. And now, the NBA and other leagues are partnering with sports betting sites.
Plenty of players around the NBA have spoken up about sports betting. Some players understand that it’s simply a part of the game, and others are vehemently against the idea of gambling on sports. Bulls star DeMar DeRozan falls more into the latter category.
DeRozan said that it’s taking away from the purity of the game. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)
“If you a fan, you a fan,” DeRozan said. “I just feel like it takes away the purity of the game and the love of the game. It should be about being a fan. I don’t think you can necessarily be a complete fan if you’re worrying about somebody getting three assists or whatever it may be.”
If people are just there to watch and see if their bets cash, are they really fans of the team they’re there to support?
Story originally appeared on Lonzo Wire