Background on Key Figures
Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA and a former star player for the Detroit Pistons, has been detained alongside Miami Heat player Terry Rozier in a U.S. investigation into illegal gambling activities. Billups, 49, is a member of the NBA’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Terry Rozier, a 31-year-old shooting guard, has played for the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and now the Miami Heat over his 11-year NBA career. He averaged 13.9 points per game throughout his tenure.
Details of the Investigation
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, Billups and Rozier are among six individuals detained in a case involving illegal sports betting. The investigation also implicates Damon Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella stated that Billups and over 30 others are accused of participating in a “national scheme to rig illegal poker games” using advanced technology for cheating. Rozier and Jones allegedly engaged in one of the most brazen sports corruption cases since online sports betting was legalized in the U.S.
Exploiting Confidential Information
The accused are linked to illegal bets on the performance of players from the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Toronto Raptors. The NBA has cooperated with the investigation, which led to Thursday’s charges.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch cited an example from a March 23, 2023 game where Rozier, then with the Hornets, supposedly signaled his early exit due to a fake injury. His associates bet over $200,000 on his performance in the game, profiting tens of thousands of dollars when Rozier left after nine minutes.
Rigged Poker Games
Regarding Billups’ alleged involvement in rigged poker games, Tisch explained that organizers used customized card decks capable of reading cards, barcode-embedded cards, hidden cameras in tables and lighting fixtures, deceiving players into thinking they were playing on a fair table while defrauding them of millions.
Defense and Previous Cases
Billups, who retired as a player in 2014 and has been the Trail Blazers’ head coach since 2021, coached in the team’s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, resulting in a loss. His lawyer, James Trusty, claims that prosecutors are relying on “spectacularly unbelievable sources” rather than concrete proof of irregularities.
Rozier’s attorney asserts that his client is not a gambler and looks forward to winning this legal battle. Trusty mentioned that Rozier had previously been cleared by the NBA, and prosecutors are reopening an nonexistent case.
Previous Illegal Gambling Cases
Nocella noted that this sports betting case is connected to last year’s arrest of former NBA player Jontay Porter from the Toronto Raptors, who was banned for life from the league for his involvement in a gambling scandal. Porter, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit electronic fraud and awaits sentencing.
Gilbert Arenas, another ex-NBA player, was arrested in July for allegedly organizing high-stakes, illegal poker games at his Los Angeles mansion. Arenas has maintained his innocence.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Chauncey Billups? A former NBA star and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
- What is Terry Rozier’s background? An 11-year NBA veteran shooting guard, who has played for the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and currently the Miami Heat.
- What are they accused of? Both Billups and Rozier are implicated in illegal sports betting and rigged poker games involving NBA teams and players.
- What evidence supports the charges? Authorities claim advanced technology was used to cheat in both sports betting and poker games, along with exploiting confidential information about NBA players and teams.
- What is the defense’s stance? Both Billups and Rozier’s legal teams assert their clients’ innocence, questioning the credibility of the prosecution’s sources and evidence.
- What previous cases are relevant? Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA for a gambling scandal and Gilbert Arenas’ arrest for organizing high-stakes, illegal poker games highlight the seriousness of these allegations.
