NBA Rocked by Expanding Gambling Scandal
After federal prosecutors accused 31 people in a wide-ranging gambling probe that included players, coaches, and organized crime, the NBA is in shock. Chauncey Billups, the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, a guard for the Miami Heat, are both facing charges.
The FBI said that both prosecutions featured insider knowledge, illicit poker games, and bets that were changed. Because of this, the league put both men on extended leave while the investigations are going on.
Source: NBA
Federal Charges Threaten Careers of Billups and Rozier
Billups and Rozier are facing significant criminal charges that may terminate their careers in the NBA. Billups is suspected of giving out private team information, while Rozier is said to have pretended to be hurt to affect prop bets.
Court documents say that Billups told an acquaintance about lineup changes before they were made public. This led to six-figure bets against the Blazers. Rozier, on the other hand, is accused of working with others to make money by betting on how well he does.
NBA Constitution Allows Harsh Disciplinary Measures
The NBA constitution gives Commissioner Adam Silver the power to permanently ban anybody who reveals inside knowledge about gambling. The same regulations that kept Jontay Porter from playing in 2024 might also keep both men from the league.
Silver said that the league’s first investigation didn’t find anything strange, but he did say that federal investigators had powers that the NBA doesn’t have, such as the capacity to issue subpoenas. Both athletes who are implicated say they are innocent.
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Wider Fallout: More NBA Figures Could Be Implicated
Authorities said their investigation is still going on, which means that more players or coaches might be charged. Prosecutors said that another unidentified NBA player from Florida gave out lineup information that was used for betting.
There are also reports that previous players, including Malik Beasley, are being looked into for strange prop bets. Beasley hasn’t been prosecuted yet, but the investigation shows how widespread the problem is in professional basketball.
Allegations Extend to Rigged Poker Games and Organized Crime
Billups and former coach Damon Jones were also suspected of being involved in rigged poker games linked to organized crime, in addition to sports betting. Prosecutors believe the organization cheated people by using tools like X-ray poker tables.
Some sportsmen, like Tyronn Lue and Kevin Garnett from the NBA, were in the same social group but are not being accused of anything. The probe goes back to 2019 and covers more than one state.
League Faces Pressure to Reform Betting Practices
Commissioner Silver has asked for stronger rules on prop bets, especially those that involve fringe or two-way players who are easier to trick. He stressed that legal betting should be more strictly controlled, even though it is better.
Silver added that the league is working with bookmakers to cut down on the number of sensitive bets that might make players want to change the outcome. He also said that federal regulation will help keep everything clear and accountable.
NBA’s Image and Future Relationship With Betting at Stake
The controversy has brought up the issue of the NBA’s close links to betting organizations again. Thirteen teams currently show games on networks controlled by bookmakers, which makes it hard to tell the difference between entertainment and betting.
The league is in a credibility problem like it hasn’t seen in decades because Billups and Rozier are waiting for their trials. Silver said he felt “a pit in my stomach” when he heard about the charges and knew that it was important to win back the public’s faith.
