Bill Simmons Involved In Sticky NBA MVP Betting Controversy
May 7th, 2012 | Author: John
ESPN NBA writer Bill Simmons is about as knowledgeable a basketball guy out there and I listen to him for direction on the basketball season. A lot of people do, too. So when he announced he picked LeBron James and Chris Paul, among others, as his choice to win NBA MVP this year, people listen. Bettors listen.
They listen even more when Simmons himself puts his own hard earned money on the line and bets on James and Paul to win the award. That’s all fine and good. But eyebrows raise when Simmons then has a direct involvment in who actually wins the award.
That’s the predicament he’s in right now. Simmons, who has never received a ballot to vote on MVP, placed wagers earlier this year. About two-thirds of the way into the season, he received a ballot in the mail to pick the winner. And now, sportsbooks and league officials are crying foul because of a confict in interest.
“It’s my favorite controversy I’ve ever been a part of,” Simmons during a podcast posted on Friday, via Covers. “I love the Internet sometimes. I really get a kick out of it. The best part of it is I think I had bets on three guys – three different MVP candidates. If you told me in college I’d be a part of a possible betting scandal, it would have been one of the highlights of my college career. “
Simmons withdrew his ballot.
“Bill had never received a ballot before and didn’t find out he had one until two-thirds of the season had passed,” ESPN wrote in a statement. “By that time he had made multiple MVP bets, two of which he had discussed on podcasts. He ended up withdrawing his MVP vote to avoid the perception of any conflict.”
As for the gambling practice in itself, ESPN also told Business Insider that sports betting is such a prevalent thing in sports that it doesn’t forbid its personalities to include it in their discussion.
“We have employee policies with respect to gambling to protect against potential conflicts. We recognize, however, that for many sports fans, gambling is a part of sports discussion. Therefore, periodically, our commentators include references to gambling in ways that are appropriate 
for their role and relevant to our audience. In Bill’s case, he connects with millions by sharing common interests. Gambling in sports is a part of that cultural connection and appropriately at times part of Bill’s work.”
James, along with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant are the front runners to win the award on Bovada.
The NBA MVP Futures page has had James and Durant at the top of the list for quite a while now and their teams are favored to reach the NBA Finals, too.