FILE – Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) looks up court during the last seconds of the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
The sports world erupted Thursday in response to the bombshell report about an NBA player and coach being arrested by the FBI in connection to illegal gambling.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were taken into custody by federal law enforcement on Thursday morning. Rozier’s arrest stems from suspicious betting activity during a game he played in March 2023, and Billups’s arrest was due to his alleged role in an illegal poker operation with ties to the Mafia.
Shortly after news of their arrests, it was also announced that former NBA player Damon Jones was also charged and arrested. Jones last played in 2009.
There have been a number of incidents involving sports betting across the major pro leagues in recent years. The NFL suspended a handful of players for betting on games in 2023, the
Thursday’s news, however, was unquestionably the biggest scandal to date in this new era of widespread, legal sports betting. Countless people were stunned to hear that actual arrests were made.
Others were quick to joke about the sports industry’s ties to gambling companies, a partnership that many feared could compromise the integrity of the games.
FBI Director Kash Patel was scheduled to hold a press conference on the arrests at 10 a.m..