NBA head coach Chauncey Billups (Portland Trail Blazers) and professional Terry Rozier (Miami Heat) have been arrested as part of a large-scale FBI investigation into banned sports betting and illegal gambling. This was confirmed by the US Federal Police in New York.
The investigations are aimed at a total of more than 30 people.
The 49-year-old Billups is in his fifth year coaching Portland and has been very successful as a player. In 2004 he became NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons and is also a member of the Hall of Fame. According to authorities, the investigation against him involves illegal poker involving the mafia.
Billups was arrested in Oregon, Rozier in Orlando. Miami played its opening game there on Wednesday, Rozier did not play against the team led by German world and European champion Franz Wagner. Officially a decision by the coach.
Rozier has already been investigated once
The league had already investigated Rozier in March 2023 because of suspicious bets made by other people regarding the number of points, rebounds and assists he was expected to receive in a game. Rozier left the game in question early, citing injury as the reason. He was not accused of any wrongdoing at the time.
These are not the first cases of this kind in the NBA. In April 2024, Jontay Porter was banned for life for betting fraud. The then Toronto Raptors player is said to have passed on confidential information to bettors and bet on NBA games himself.
At the end of July, former NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas was arrested in connection with illegal poker games. The 43-year-old is accused of renting out his luxury residence in Los Angeles, “to be there between September 2021 and July 2022” meetings “to be held with high stakes”.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday that the league was working with its sports betting partners to counteract attempts at manipulation. “We have asked some of our partners to withdraw additional bets”says Silver: “We are trying to put additional controls in place – learning over time and working with bookmakers – to prevent this manipulation.”