Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Calls Out NBA for Lack of Protection From Gambling Issues

The All-Star wing says the NBA should do a better job of protecting its players from issues that arise from gambling.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown called out the NBA for its lack of protection for its players over gambling issues. / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

In the aftermath of Thursday's arrests of Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups as a result of an FBI-led illegal gambling investigation, much of the talk in league circles for players and coaches alike have centered around the scandal.

Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, a former teammate of Rozier, was asked about the investigation and his take on the issue. Brown took aim at the NBA, saying that players have not been protected well enough from the consequences that come as a result of fans gambling.

"They're like, 'You make X amount of money or X, Y and Z, you should be able to deal with all the extra negativity," Brown said of NBA fans criticizing players over bets. "The people approaching you about parlays...it creates a negative discourse around the game and players when people have money involved. ...It's leading to situations that we can avoid if more conversations were had right now."

Brown said the conversations around sports gambling need to be at the forefront in conversations between the league and players.

"I dont think once, from my conversations with the union, that the NBA has been like, 'How can we protect players more with the environment?' There's been little to no conversation around that. It's all about, a lot of times, 'How can we increase business and increase revenue?' I don't think we're having enough conversations about what is the aftermath or the consequences that some of that stuff has."

Ahead of facing the Knicks tonight at MSG, Jaylen Brown is asked about the NBA's ongoing gambling investigations and his feelings on sports gambling:

"That whole world was introduced a couple years ago, and I don't think they took players into consideration - especially with the… pic.twitter.com/2C6ZqiOYuo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 24, 2025

It's tough to put the toothpaste back in the tube in regard to the league's sponsorship deals with prominent gambling companies. The average fan doesn't have to look far to see a sportsbook ad on the television or at the arena.

Sportsbooks are helping sports leagues in the United States generate millions of dollars per year, and cash is king. But Brown has a fair point about the players and the criticism they receive from fans as a result of sports gambling.

There are no easy answers, but there are certainly conversations left to be had after an eventful couple of days of scandal for the NBA.

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