Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal are speaking out about the NBA’s ongoing betting scandal. During their segment on Inside the NBA, the Hall of Fame duo criticized the league for mishandling the situation, arguing that commissioner Adam Silver should have acted sooner once the allegations first surfaced.
“Clearly, the NBA dropped the ball,” said Barkley on ESPN. “Adam Silver can pick up the phone and call the FBI and say, ‘Hey, do y’all really have something?’ Two years is a long time to investigate somebody, and he was cleared.”
Shaq agreed, saying he was “ashamed” of the players and individuals involved. For him, the scandal is a stain on the league’s reputation and a cautionary tale about greed and poor decision-making.
“I don’t want to sit up here like I’m some perfect guy, but I never gambled at anybody’s house,” said Shaq. “I’m ashamed that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy. There’s a saying in the hood: ‘All money ain’t good money.’ So, if you’re making $9 million and dealing in certain things, how much more do you need? Especially if you know you will get caught, you can face jail time, lose your career, and tarnish your family’s or the NBA’s image. I agree with you, Chuck, they dropped the ball.”
These statements come in light of the arrests of several NBA personnel, including Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones. They were just three of the 30 individuals taken into custody by federal officials this week after being linked to mob-run gambling and betting schemes. They reportedly defrauded victims out of hundreds of millions.
It’s just the latest in a growing list of gambling-related controversies. Between Terry Rozier, Jontay Porter, and Malik Beasley, the incidents are starting to pile up, and it’s putting pressure on the NBA to respond.
Not only does this hurt the league’s family-friendly image, but it also leads to doubt about the integrity of its games. From the fans’ perspective, it paints the league as increasingly untrustworthy. It’s not a good look for the NBA, and the fact that their own investigation cleared Porter suggests they still might not have the full story. There’s even talk that they tried to sweep the whole thing under the rug.
Going forward, we can expect even more details regarding the ongoing case. The FBI is now conducting a thorough review, and what they uncover could have drastic consequences for those involved.
Regardless of how this ends, the NBA has a lot to answer for. Ever since sports betting became legalized across the country, the league has gone out of its way to sell it as a normal part of the sports experience. But if players and coaches cannot resist the temptation to leverage inside information for profit, it points to a deeper problem the league must address.
Barkley and Shaq’s comments reflect what many fans are already thinking: the NBA can’t afford to turn a blind eye anymore. With the league’s credibility on the line, this scandal could force major reforms to protect the game’s integrity before the damage becomes irreversible.
