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In recent years, plenty of athletes have bemoaned the rise of legal sports betting thanks to fans who’ve gone out of their way to call them out after a wager failed to hit. However, Gilbert Arenas was apparently ahead of the curve based on how he cost Ja Rule a massive chunk of change after getting heckled by the rapper during a game.
It’s easy to understand the appeal of sports betting, as getting financially invested in a game you don’t already have an emotional investment in is a great way to up the entertainment factor.
Unfortunately, some people end up getting a bit too invested, which has led to a number of scenarios where players have been on the receiving end of incendiary DMs or even confronted by an angry spectator in real life in the wake of a contest after losing a bet.
I feel like most NBA fans are aware players could not care less about people who need them to score a certain number of points or are relying on their team to win (or lose) by a certain margin. If you’re attending a game in person, there’s really no upside to sharing your wagers with the guys on the court—but there can be a downside if they’re feeling particularly petty.
Ja Rule said he learned that the hard way during an interview with GQ where he discussed his gambling habits and reflected on the time he and Irv Gotti threw down around $200,000 in the hopes Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards wouldn’t be able to cover the spread at a game where they were sitting near the court.
While they did what they could to get under Agent Zero’s skin, the strategy ultimately backfired thanks to what unfolded in garbage time:
“Gilbert Arenas killed us on the spread.
We was f****** with him, heckling them. At the end of the game, he took this shot in hopes and desperation to backdoor cover the spread—because they couldn’t win the game—but he took a half-court shot just to f****** destroy us, and we lost our money.
I’ll never forget that ever in my life. He f****** punished us that day, man.”
That’s one way to teach your haters a lesson.