Gambling Insights - Famous Basketball Players Spotted in Casinos
Source: Freepik
Basketball, with its high-flying dunks and razor-sharp strategies, holds a special place in the Australian sports scene. So, too, does gambling, which is where gambling insights comes into the equation. But there is no doubt that the best Basketball on the planet is played in the American NBA, which is why it is where many of the top Aussie players play their Basketball.
5 of the top Aussie baseball players include the likes of:
- Ben Simmons - plays NBA basketball for Brooklyn Nets
- Joe Inglis - plays NBA basketball for Orlando Magic
- Josh Giddey – plays NBA basketball for Oklahoma City Thunder
- Matisse Thybulle - plays NBA basketball for Portland Trail Blazers
- Patty Mills - plays NBA basketball for Atlanta Hawks
These Aussie players are showing American NBA audiences that great basketball players can originate from anywhere – especially Australia, where they can use the skills they develop to make the Australian national team a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.
But how do players of this calibre chill out? What can they do to match the excitement of their profession?
Well, like many sports stars, gambling comes high on the list.
Michael (Magic) Jordan
Pennsylvanian-born Michae Johnson is arguably the most famous and controversial basketball player of all time. His record in the NBA is unparalleled.
- 10-times NBA champion – both as a player and an owner
- 3-times NBA Most Valuable Player.
- 3-times Most Valuable Player in the Finals
- Made the NBS First Team 9 times
- Made the NBA All-Stars 12 times
- Voted Most Popular Player All-Star player twice
- Given the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- Voted one of the greatest players in the entire history of the NBA
- Member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- The Earvin Magic Johnson Trophy is named in his honour.
This Basketball great loved nothing better than spending his recreational time in a casino, playing pokies and betting on cards and golf. Just like the top 5 Australian basketball players mentioned above, he was a top example of work hard, play hard.
Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce is best remembered for his time with the Boston Celtics. All in all, he enjoyed 19 seasons in the NBA and, in 2021, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of only three players to have scored over 20,000 career points with the Celtics. He played 1,343 games in the NBA, and his field goal average per game was 6.5.
Off the court, Pierce was an ardent casino enthusiast and loved sports betting, too. He is famous for his gambling-related TV show appearances and for scooping a £100,000 pot playing Craps.
Shaquille O’Neal
At 7 feet 1 inch tall, Shaquille O’Neal was a giant of Basketball in the true sense of the word. Across his career, he played for Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtic, but he will be most remembered for the 8 years he spent with Los Angeles Lakers.
Shaq, as he was affectionately known (both as a player and a rapper), holds the 3rd highest field goal percentage, with 58.2%. In 2016, he took his place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pierce was another basketball star who enjoyed gambling. It may have something to do with being born in New Jersey, a US state with some of the freest gambling laws in the States. Whether it’s playing pokies or other classic casino table games, Shaq was often seen frequenting casinos.
J.R. Smith
Earl Joseph Smith is a former NBA player who is quite open about his love of gambling in his spare time. In fact, he owned up to missing team practice one day after an all-night blackjack session.
During his NBA career, Smith played for New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. The two clubs he was with for the longest were Denver Nuggets, whom he was with for 5 years, and Cleveland Cavaliers, whose books he was on for 4 years. In 2009, Smith knocked up a season-high of 41 points against the Atlanta Hawks - the first NBA player to record multiple games of 10+ 3-pointers.
An avid but careful gambler, Smith went on record to say that as far as his gambling was concerned (as well as playing pokies, he also loved playing blackjack, poker and roulette), it helped him to relax and unwind, and he maintained he never lost more than he could afford.
Source: Freepik
LeBron James
Like “Magic” Johnsons, Lebron James is one of Basketball's greats. “King” James has spent most of his NBA career with Cleveland Cavaliers. He was with them for 7 years, after which he joined Miami Heat for 4 seasons, returning to the Cavaliers again in 2014 for another 4 seasons. He currently plays for Los Angeles Lakers.
The King has chalked up 1,421 games to date and has a field goal average of 50.5%. He is the ultimate Basketball professional, and although he is known to chill playing pokies and games of cards with teammates, he ensures it will never interfere with his profession. Despite being wealthy, James is renowned for being careful with his money, so is a good gambling model to follow.
All Work and No Pleasure
There is a well-known saying that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and the same can be said for Jill. Whether it’s visiting a conventional or virtual online casino to play pokies or table games, responsible gambling is a great way of spending your recreational time. The excitement takes your mind away from the rigours and demands of your profession, whether you’re a basketball player, a merchant banker, or an office clerk.