""It's a scary situation," Bickerstaff said Sunday before Detroit's home opener against the Boston Celtics. "The information that our guys have, just natural things that happen through a shootaround or through a practice that might be a casual conversation at home or wherever it may be, that information has been monetized now. You have to be extremely careful. We've had a ton of conversations [with] our guys about that and just how sensitive it is."
""He is a friend of mine. I've known him since I was in seventh grade," Bickerstaff said. "I care about him immensely, and I hate to see what he's going through right now. As a friend, as a human, I am here to support him and be there for him in any way that he needs me to be. "I think everyone needs to allow due process to happen, and then obviously judgments can be made."
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff warned that casual team conversations can be monetized by sports betting and urged players to be extremely careful about sharing information. He said routine details from shootarounds and practices can carry gambling implications and that organizations have held numerous conversations to stress sensitivity. Bickerstaff cautioned that involvement with sports betting brings significant consequences and financial temptations. Former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups was placed on leave and arrested on charges alleging participation in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes poker games tied to Mafia families and to provide bettors inside information on player health. Bickerstaff called for due process and expressed personal support for Billups.
Read at ESPN.com
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