The Dallas Mavericks are hiring former professional sports gambler Bob Voulgaris as director of quantitative research and development, league sources told ESPN.
For years, Voulgaris made a living betting on NBA games, successfully wagering based on his research and information.
Voulgaris is known for his deep analytics and expertise on coaching strategy and tendencies of individual referees.
ESPN reporting with @Zachlowe_NBA: In another example of the league's changing attitudes on gambling, the Dallas Mavericks are hiring former NBA bettor Bob Voulgaris (@Haralabob) as Director of Quantitative Research and Development.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 5, 2018
Voulgaris has long been a minor celebrity among a certain subset of NBA fans, amassing 143,000 Twitter followers and making numerous appearances on Bill Simmons’s podcasts
Cuban “is expected to utilize Voulgaris as a strategic thinker who will help examine on-court strategy in big-picture ways,” the ESPN scribes report.
Big data is taking a new turn with the legalization of sport gambling. The Mavs have hired former professional gambler, Bob Voulgaris, as director of quantitative research. One would think his research would be as much about optimizing on-court efforts as the gambling space.
— Alicia Jessop (@RulingSports) October 5, 2018
Leave it to Mark Cuban to hire just about anyone if it helps him win.
