Among the over 30 individuals charged with federal charges in a massive illegal gambling case that has had an explosive impact on the league is NBA coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. The uncovered schemes through the two distinct yet related probes by the FBI were insider betting, rigging of poker games and organized crime networks all over the U.S.
FBI director Kash Patel told Brooklyn on Thursday that there were tens of millions of dollars involved in the cases that involved wire fraud, money laundering, extortion and illegal gambling. And this is the NBA insider trading scandal, Patel added.
Rigged Games and Insider Betting
According to the authorities, Terry Rozier belonged to the group who leaked confidential information about NBA to a partner who in turn employed the services of the so-called straw bettors to make a bet according to these tips. The 31-year-old guard already earned a mention last year when sportsbooks raised a red flag over bets that were suspicious in one of his March 2023 games in his 11-year career averaging 13.9 points per game. With an injury, he walked out of that game early, which raised the issue of betting trends.
The lawyer of Rozier, James Trusty defended his client by labeling the accusations as unfounded. According to him, Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived a non-case.
On an unrelated but closely related case, head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups of Portland Trail Blazers was accused of gambling to fix high stakes poker games. According to Federal prosecutors, the players were fooled into participating in games that were advertised to be celebrity tourism but were then swindled using low-profile technology such as shuffling card players and x-ray machines.
Investigators claimed the poker scheme had connections to a number of New York organized crime families who also laundered their gains in cryptocurrency and other ways.
Expansion Scandal All Sports
The two indictments were not related, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, however, said that some of the defendants were shared, such as former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach, Damon Jones.
The Heat, NBA and the Trail Blazers have not made comments on the arrests
This is not the first gambling scandal to befall professional sports. In 2024, Jontay Porter, a former NBA player, was banned permanently after acknowledging to have cheated on his performance to bet. Baseball star Pete Rose, who was banned on gambling once when he managed the Cincinnati Reds, was reinstated earlier this year, decades after he was banned for life.
Chauncey Billups, 49, is a coach whose fifth season with Portland is in place. He is a five-time All-Star, the leader of NBA champions in Detroit Pistons in 2004 and the Finals MVP.
Even as the investigation is being conducted, the NBA is back facing the ugly side of the burgeoning sports betting business.
Also Read: Warriors beat Lakers 119-109 as Jimmy Butler leads season opener
Stokes Praises Head’s Big Knock as England Faces Tough Questions