St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino does not believe that player prop bets are in basketball’s best interest.
Key takeaways
- Pitino said he regularly reminds his players not to share privileged information.
- Terry Rozier played for Pitino at Louisville from 2013-15.
- The NCAA is considering allowing student-athletes to bet on professional sports.
While speaking with former college basketball coach and basketball sportscaster Dan Dakich on “Dan Dakich Unfiltered,” Pitino discussed several aspects of modern gambling, including the scandal in which his former player, Terry Rozier, was implicated.
One of Pitino’s biggest gripes is with prop bets. He said he doesn’t believe they should be included on legal sportsbooks' menus and hinted at the opportunity for nefarious interference.
“I think these prop bets are bad, you know, you have how many rebounds you get and things like that,” Pitino said. “And now you’re with your cousin and your friend, and he says something to one of the players ... I don’t like these prop bets where players, you know, get so many rebounds, so many assists, so many steals. I don’t think that’s good for the game.”
Despite his opposition to prop bets, he’s not totally averse to the idea of regulated gambling. Pitino actually expressed his support for the NCAA’s recent proposed rule change that would allow student-athletes to bet on professional sports. The current policy forbids players and team personnel from wagering in any capacity.
“I do think it’s good to let the players wager on professional sports. ... I think they’re doing it now, and rather than them getting in trouble - I think they do it through their friends, you know, with a bet on an NFL game or whatever it may be,” he said. “The more you bring everything to light, the better off you'll be.”
A warning for student-athletes
The 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee also said he regularly reminds his players not to fall victim to any of the perils associated with sports betting.
“I don’t like these prop bets at all,” he said. “I don’t think that’s good for the game, and it tempts players’ friends. ‘Do you think you can get 10 rebounds tonight?’
“I caution my team on that all the time - don’t give any information of what you think.”
Pitino offered to help Rozier
Pitino is as familiar with the perils of the modern sports betting industry and prop betting as anyone, given his relationship with Rozier.
The Miami Heat guard played for Pitino at Louisville from 2013-15. He was named a second-team All-ACC member for the 2014-15 season when he led the Cardinals in scoring at 17.1 points per game.
Pitino told Dakich he was “shocked” when news broke in late October that Rozier had been arrested by the FBI for illegally limiting his availability in games for the benefit of sports bettors.
“It’s not like him,” Pitino said, adding, “I love Terry. I texted him: ‘Terry, if I can be of any help. I love you, son. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please get a hold of me.’
“I don't know what's going on with him there. It doesn't sound like a person making $22 million is worried about a prop bet. That doesn't make any sense to me at all.”
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, previously revealed that Rozier told a member of his circle that he would check himself out of an NBA game early, which Trusty said was “not a crime.”
