Tasmania JackJumpers players and their families have been brutally attacked online amid the club’s misfiring NBL season, says coach Scott Roth, who wants the league to take more action. The reigning champions got off the bottom of the table with an upset 83-64 victory over the ladder-leading New Zealand Breakers on Saturday night in Hobart. In an emotional post-game press conference, Roth revealed weeks-long social media trolling of players and their loved ones had reached an ugly head in the 24 hours before the game.
“We have a lot of distraught players and family members, wives and spouses and children,” he said. “We have been attacked brutally through social media to the point where it is ugly. “We have a player whose wife is pregnant and they (people online) wished for a miscarriage.
” Roth said he was content to cop criticism about his coaching, the team’s playing style or roster decisions, but personal attacks crossed the line. “It is coming from gamblers and people around the world and from general fans that feel they can spew whatever they want out of their mouths,” he said. “When you start using vulgarity and you start attacking family members and kids and photos on Facebook .
.. it’s too much.
“It’s just a basketball game. It’s just entertainment. Who cares at the end of the day? “We’re just here to entertain, play as hard as we can.
This is not life or death. It’s disgusting.” Tasmania claimed the championship last season in just t.
