NBA players can’t bet on basketball games, but as it turns out, they can encourage their teammates to cover the spread during live matches.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green appeared to shout the spread line to his teammates late in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite them having essentially no chance of winning.
Key Takeaways
- Green appeared to reference the spread, which the Warriors covered with a meaningless last-second shot.
- Green fouled out after 29 minutes on a play the Warriors couldn’t challenge.
- The Warriors are 5-5 against the spread in the playoffs, while the Timberwolves are 5-3.
A viral clip circulated online Saturday after the Warriors lost Game 3 102-97. The game was on ESPN, which operates the ESPN BET sportsbook in partnership with PENN Entertainment.
Did Draymond tell his team the spread?
— Covers (@Covers) May 11, 2025
The Warriors ended up hitting a 3 and covering the spread in the final seconds 🤔 pic.twitter.com/vpLM1afxrI
The video showed Green, who had fouled out with two points, four assists, and two rebounds, talking to his teammates with 15.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Green appeared to mouth “five and a half (points) ... the spread” to his teammates, who were in possession of the ball and down 102-94.
Immediately after the conversation, Jimmy Butler III attempted and missed a 3-pointer, only for Jonathan Kuminga to grab the offensive rebound and then drain a meaningless 22-footer with 5.1 seconds left. That score held, and the game ended 102-97.
Game 3 opened with the Timberwolves favored by 5.5 points, largely because a hamstring strain sidelined Warriors star Stephen Curry. Some sportsbooks closed with the line at 4.5 points.
The Timberwolves were one of the most bet teams of the day on Saturday. BetMGM spokesperson John Ewing reported that 85% of spread money for the game was on the Timberwolves at -5.5.
Anyone who bet the Warriors’ opening line got to cash their bets thanks to Kuminga’s unnecessary shot and Green’s potential encouragement.
Blurring the lines
There's a segment of diehard sports fans who have long said that games are rigged, although those comments are usually reserved for when their favorite teams are losing.
The enormous presence of legal sports betting, however, causes situations such as these to generate much more steam. Many in the gambling community used ESPN’s close-up of Green to fuel the conversation that professional sports follow a script.
Any lip readers out there? Did Draymond Green tell his teammates that the spread was 5.5 with 15 seconds left?
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) May 11, 2025
The Warriors would go on to hit a 3 in the final seconds to cover the spread pic.twitter.com/Sn56mfMdhF
Draymond yelling the spread is -5.5……
— Austin (@austinsprops) May 11, 2025
ESPN has a Sportsbook.
We’re seeing players suspended weekly for betting.
Yeah sports aren’t fixed.
pic.twitter.com/sMjJM9gqiA
“five and a half. i know what they doing. the spread.” draymond knew exactly what scott foster, mitchell ervin, and david guthrie were doing by literally taking him out of the game https://t.co/54Pm1xn6MV
— Bob Monroe (@BobMonr14690301) May 11, 2025
The NBA does not allow its players to bet on basketball games at any level or to discuss privileged information for the purpose of sports betting. Just last year, the NBA suspended ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., for life for conspiring with a ring of known sports bettors.
Green, meanwhile, was also in the news because of his comments after Game 2 against Minnesota, during which he received a technical foul for elbowing Naz Reid in the face. He denounced the use of the “angry Black man” stereotype that was attributed to him and that he felt was unfairly used to disparage him.
Looking ahead to Monday night, BetMGM has the Warriors once again 5.5-point underdogs (-115) with a +180 moneyline in Game 4. The Timberwolves are -5.5 (-105) favorites and -220 on the moneyline.
