I apologize but I’m going to hop on my soapbox for a second because something has continued to bother me since the second I first saw the announcement.
Last week after the trade deadline passed, Giannis Antetokounmpo took to social media to reveal that he was now a shareholder in Kalshi, a prediction market that allows users to bet on just about every conceivable thing imaginable. Not just sports, I’m talking “Who will take over Warner Bros, Paramount or Netflix?” or “Will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get married before 1/1/27?” Literally, you can bet on any world event which is wildly dystopian in itself but that’s for another day.
My specific issue with all of this is that one thing you could bet on was “Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be traded to a new team?”
And actually, a lot of people bet on that exact thing. $23 million in bets were placed on Kalshi alone regarding Giannis potentially being moved to a new team at the deadline.
This means that Giannis, who has a great deal of influence over his basketball situation and demanding a trade, was benefitting financially from the speculation around his status. Speculation that included Giannis himself giving contrasting statements like “I’m an employee” one day and “I want to be here forever” the next. Plus, you had Shams constantly reporting that the Bucks were aggressively shopping a Giannis trade at least a few weeks.
All the back and forth and contradictions has also made things like this tweet after the deadline feel even more disingenuous. Fans are left thinking “it’s great you’re saying this now but where was this even 48 hours ago when the whole basketball world was certain you were about to be moved?”
The whole thing feels extremely illegal and like a massive conflict of interest for an active player to be financially benefitting from their own rumor mill that they can control and sway themselves as they see fit.
I understand that there’s a bit of dissonance that comes with being a sports fan now. Sports betting has become legal and has infiltrated almost every part of the media coverage, I don’t like it but I understand I need to live with it to continue enjoying sports. But this is a step too far for me.
I’m fascinated to see what the league has to say about this or if any reporters will even ask Adam Silver about this at next weekend’s All-Star Game. Because ESPN, Fox, and plenty of other outlets who could ask these questions, all have their own deals with various sportsbooks and betting companies., so why risk rocking the boat at all?
I try to avoid hyperbole as much as possible unless there’s a chance for humor but with this, I genuinely feel like I’m going to look at and watch Giannis differently for the rest of his career now.
How much more money does someone on a three-year/$186 million max contract need to justify this level of manipulation?
The Charlotte Hornets – Over the weekend the Hornets pushed their win streak up to nine, making history as the only team ever to win nine straight without getting a single point from any player that is 28 or older. This young core has clearly stumped onto something because the starting lineup of LaMelo/Brandon Miller/Kon Knueppel/Miles Bridges/Moussa Diabate are 13-1 and only getting better.
The Sanctity of the NBA – We’re getting to a point where the Utah Jazz are so shameless in their tanking that something needs to be done. On Saturday the Jazz led the Magic by as many as 17 points in the third quarter with Jaren Jackson Jr (22pts in his team debut), Lauri Markkanen (27pts/7r), and Jusuf Nurkic (14r/6a) all cooking.
Until the fourth quarter when all three of them sat. And sat. And sat. That’s right, none of them played a second of the fourth quarter as the Magic came back to win. The loss is the Jazz’s 18th in their last 22 games. It’s insane to think that the league either doesn’t care or is going to choose to ignore this because it feels so shameless but I really don’t know.
The Washington Wizards’ Image Overhaul – The Washington Wizards have been making some strong moves towards the future with trades to acquire Anthony Davis and Trae Young. These moves have felt a lot more like a front office with a vision for the franchise, something that has been lacking in recent years. But then over the weekend, we started getting reports that Davis was upset about the deal and wouldn’t be re-signing as well as the news that Washington was considering shutting Davis down and not having him play a single game for them this season.
“It’s hard to say (I would definitely stay in D.C.) without the proper plan. Obviously, it’s tough right now with the team. It shows with their record, but adding certain pieces, that can change. It’s year by year. They just beat the No. 1 team in the East.”
– Anthony Davis on his future with the Washington Wizards
On top of that, D’Angelo Russell who was also acquired in that AD trade, will apparently not be reporting to the team which is a shame because every tank needs a commander.
While these moves aren’t quite as “same old Wizards” as some could be, it does show just how hard it can be for teams to completely turn their reputations around
The Sacramento Kings – I’m going to give you two options and I want you to tell me what’s worse.
1 – The Sacramento Kings are doing in-game activities trying to give away season tickets if you make a single free throw to help fill the arena.
2 – Owner Vivek Ranadivé had Travis Scott sitting courtside as his guest on Saturday when the Kings hosted the Cavaliers. Scott, holding a custom Kings jersey, immediately jumped up to celebrate with new Cavalier James Harden following the team’s win over the Kings. All this unfolded with Vivek STANDING RIGHT THERE.
Jaden Ivey – You only get one shot to make a first impression and I’m guessing Jaden Ivey wishes he could re-do his Chicago Bulls debut from the weekend.
In a bit of surprising news, Damian Lillard was announced as one of the participants in this weekend’s 3-Point Contest despite still recovering from a torn Achilles’ in last year’s playoffs.
Lillard, a two-time winner of the event already, will not play this season as he recovers from the injury and this will be his first time back in his Blazers uniform after reuniting with the team in the off-season.
The full field of participants is:
Donovan Mitchell
Kon Knueppel
Tyrese Maxey
Jamal Murray
Norman Powell
Bobby Portis
Devin Booker
Damian Lillard
I can’t lie, it’s going to be very cool to see Dame back out on the court this weekend.
– Cam Thomas signs with Milwaukee Bucks
– Alperen Sengun named to All-Star World team in place of injured SGA
– Lakers rule out Luka Doncic for Monday’s game, OKC to get Jalen Williams back
– Nikola Jokic has passed Oscar Robertson for No. 2 all-time in triple-doubles
– “It’s a complete turnaround from what I thought we could potentially do.” – Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac
– Gary Payton II went to great lengths to sign these autographs
Pistons at Hornets
Hawks at Timberwolves
Cavaliers at Nuggets
76ers at Trail Blazers
Thunder at Lakers
Thank you so much for hanging out and reading today’s HOOPS. I hope everyone reading this is doing well and having a good Monday so far. More importantly, I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend whether you watched the Super Bowl, watched basketball, or just took some time to yourself. Take care.