NBA wants players and coaches to stop using phones during live games

The recently concluded Jontay Porter saga, which saw the Toronto Raptors’ ace embroiled in one of the National Basketball League’s (NBA) most damning betting scandals, has left a searing mark on the organization.

The NBA set to roll out the "no cell phone period"

Now, in a bid to strengthen the integrity of the game, SNY, a media publication, has reported that the NBA is looking to block coaches and players from using cell phones and social media during all live league games.

This includes the period from the tipoff to the very end when affected parties can start using phones again. If true, the implications are clear. The NBA is worried about the growing popularity of play-by-play bets and in-play wagering, which would in theory allow a betting party to communicate with a player and tell them what to do to pull off a big wager.

The new policy will also come with a reaffirmation of previous rules, and while the NBA does seem jittery about the implications of gambling on the sport, the league may be equally keen to make sure that coaches and players are only focusing on the game rather than on their social media.

The case of Porter is a rarity, and the first lifetime ban to have ever been handed to a player. Porter was accused and later found guilty of sharing confidential information to several bettors with whom he colluded to win wagers.

Eyes on the ball, phones away

Porter did that allegedly by using his phone while the game was in progress. He would request from his coach to skip parts of the game because he would feel weak, for example. This later proved to be a ploy to make sure that the bets ended up a win.

The league, SNY says, will refer to the new period during which phones are banned as the "no cell phone" rule. However, the league acknowledges that players and coaches may still receive personal and urgent messages.

Therefore, a person will be designated to be reached with any urgent message that can then be freely related to a team member. Cell phones can be used in the event of a medical or security emergency, SNY says. An official confirmation is still forthcoming.

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