By Aaron Rigby
Correspondent
On Oct. 23, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach, basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, were two of multiple people arrested in connection with a sports gambling investigation launched by the FBI, which involved approximately tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
According to CNN, Rozier was charged in a scheme, which officials say he allegedly rigged games to support sports bettors. In addition, the NBA veteran allegedly shared roster information with bettors, indicating who would or would not be active, giving bettors an upper hand on those who did not have access to such insider information.
Though Rozier has only now been arrested for these actions, the NBA had initially launched its own investigation into Rozier in late January this year for his manipulated performance in a game played back in March of 2023, which was linked to unusual betting patterns surrounding the then Charlotte Hornets guard.
The interviews and phone searches that came as part of the NBA’s initial 2023 investigations did not find enough evidence of foul play to further prevent him from suiting up. However, the league never completely cleared Rozier either, according to spokesperson Mike Bass.
“As is typical for an NBA investigation, this conclusion was subject to any new evidence we might receive,” said Bass. Amidst January’s government-led investigation, Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty stood confident that his defendant would remain uncharged, and that government investigators would “come to the same conclusion.” Just months later, Rozier was arrested and placed on immediate leave without pay.
Chauncey Billups, also arrested and placed on immediate leave, was allegedly paid to participate in illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons, all of which involved members of no less than three New York mafia families, according to officials. In a press conference later that day, Patel emphatically highlighted the mafia crime family connections.
“Not only did we crack into fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese crime families,” said Patel.
Most recently, the NBA has requested that multiple teams around the league hand over documents and other property, such as cell phones, as part of its investigation into illegal sports gambling. Notably, the Los Angeles Lakers are a part of this investigation due to their ties to Damon Jones, a former NBA player and former shooting coach of LeBron James, who was another one of the dozens arrested in the FBI’s illegal gambling probe.
These relations resulted in investigators from the outside law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Kats seeking documents, including cellphones and phone records from over 10 Lakers employees, according to The Athletic.
Though none have been charged with a crime nor mentioned in federal charging documents, prosecutors say that Jones occasionally used information disclosed to him by a team trainer to gamble, and on at least two occasions, sold injury information on star Lakers players to bettors.
This search for new information is presumably perpetuated by the persistent scrutiny the league is under by the United States Congress, who hope to gain understanding as to “how the NBA investigated and handled these allegations as well as what steps the Association is taking to maintain the public’s trust.”
“This Committee needs to understand the specifics of the NBA’s investigation and why Rozier was cleared to continue playing basketball,” said Senator Ted Cruz, Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee.
A House Committee also inquired about “gaps in existing regulations that allow betting schemes to occur,” according to the Associated Press.
Also, according to ESPN, the NBA sent a memo to all 30 teams just four days after the indictments were made, stating that they are reviewing policies regarding injury reporting, training and education of NBA personnel, and safety measures for players, all in an effort to enhance its integrity.
“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors,” the memo states.
Chauncey Billups agreed to appear in Eastern District Court in New York on Nov. 24, in the meantime forfeiting his passport and gambling as a whole, according to The Athletic.
Rozier, who offered his multi-million dollar home up as collateral, will appear in court in Brooklyn, New York, on Dec. 6. Rozier was also required to surrender his passport, any weapons he possessed, and was forbidden from gambling and contacting any individuals involved with the case.
New details surrounding the league's investigations are coming out frequently, and more details are presumed to be developed with two notable court cases beginning imminently.
