On the surface of this gambling scandal, it’s mind-numbingly perplexing – all-time dumb – that these well compensated NBA players and coaches would get involved.
It’s not like this is the 1910s and Arnold Rothstein is making an offer you can’t refuse. I don’t know what Mafia bosses are raking in annually these days before taxes (err, laundering), but I’m guessing it’s less than the $21.5 million Terry Rozier pocketed in salary during the season he allegedly feigned injury. According to the DOJ, Rozier’s illegal activity resulted in payments to his associate in the “tens of thousands.”
That’s it. Relative chump change. It’d be like us regular folk risking it all by robbing a vending machine. Swedish Fish are good, not that good.
But if I were to also jump into the minds of these men, I can see the line of thinking. It’s still stupid and reckless, mind you, but less egregious ethically considering the NBA enables such behavior.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
