That's crazy. With all of his $2M career earnings, he's got banned for just $20k+ of bet for his own team. I wouldn't do that, I might bet but I'd avoid to do what's written on the clause of my contract.
Or as much as possible, just avoid betting to anything related to your own sport when you're playing for a team. I guess that in every sport, we've got these athletes that does the same but not yet exposed.
It looks like he had a Two-Way Contract with the Raports, and his salary was only $400k this season. Maybe he just wanted to earn a little more and that's why he manipulated like that. Either way, it's the dumbest thing to do because if he had progressed in the NBA, he could have potentially made a few million dollars more over a few seasons.
With that lifetime earnings that he's got with the Raptors, he cannot get that with gambling because he's only betting for his own game and will do everything to just lose it.
$20K compared to the entire career earnings or his salary monthly.
Its really crazy decision and don't know what that guy think when he do that. He can just easily earn big money in NBA but he just waste it for just for small profit and short time pleasure to have when he possibly win on his place bets. Now for sure that this guy will regret his decision since he can't earn big amount of money on other league. Also there are so many players around the world that dream to reach on NBA but he just waste his opportunity and now he receive a lifetime ban on this league.
For sure that player would regret his decision that he change his career to a $20k bet and this will be a huge warning to other player that they should not follow what this player did since this could ruin their career forever and be place on big shame because of stupid things he made.