Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Among Several Charged In Large FBI Gambling Probe
Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has been arrested as part of an FBI investigation into illegal sports gambling, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The news broke Thursday morning, with reports also from ESPN’s Shams Charania confirming that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also taken into custody in connection with the probe.
FBI director Kash Patel will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET to discuss the arrests made in the investigation.
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The FBI, alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into illegal sports betting and poker schemes.
While details remain limited, sources indicate that Billups’ arrest is not related to games he coached.
per ABC News he was arrested and reportedly charged in “an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia“.
Rozier, however, had been under scrutiny since 2023 for unusual betting activity during his time with the Charlotte Hornets, particularly in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Billups, who is in his fifth season as the Trail Blazers’ head coach, has a storied NBA career spanning 17 years, including a Finals MVP award with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
His arrest comes just a day after Portland’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The team is scheduled to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday, leaving questions about how this development will impact the organization.
The NBA has faced increasing challenges with the rise of legalized sports betting.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently emphasized the league’s efforts to regulate prop bets and prevent manipulation, particularly involving players with limited roles.
This latest scandal shines a light on the complexities of maintaining integrity in a rapidly evolving betting landscape.
As the investigation unfolds, the NBA and its teams will likely face heightened scrutiny over their relationships with gambling and the measures in place to safeguard the sport’s credibility.
Both Billups and Rozier’s legal teams have yet to comment publicly on the charges.
More reports are developing as now Former NBA player Damon Jones has also been arrested by the FBI in connection with the charges being announced today.
Jones’ arrest is said to be part of the same case that resulted in Rozier being arrested, according to ABC News.
Jones, an 11-year NBA veteran, played for 10 teams during his career.
After retiring in 2012, Jones joined Tyronn Lue’s staff in Cleveland from 2016-2018.
Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Among Several Charged In Large FBI Gambling Probe
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