The game of basketball hasn’t faced this level of controversy since your family reunion pickup game got you banned from the YMCA.
As the NBA’s regular season tips off this week, the league has been thrown into turmoil following two high-profile gambling busts that led to the arrest of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups, and former player and coach Damon Jones.
Federal prosecutors say Rozier and Jones allegedly shared confidential player information, including injury updates, with individuals who used the details to place profitable bets.
In one instance, Rozier reportedly told an associate he would leave a game early due to injury—prompting a prop bet that allegedly earned hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the winnings later split between Rozier and the associate.
Investigators also claim Jones leaked LeBron James’s injury status before a February 2023 matchup, allowing bettors to make insider wagers on games involving the Hornets, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Raptors—though one official mistakenly referred to the Raptors as the “Toronto Rangers” during a press briefing.
Mafia-linked poker ring uncovered
In a separate case, prosecutors say Billups and Jones were recruited by a mafia-connected underground poker network that used celebrity appearances to attract wealthy players. The games were allegedly rigged with X-ray table scanners, hidden cameras, and marked cards, with accomplices feeding real-time data to players using special contact lenses and smart glasses.
The FBI confirmed more than 30 arrests across 11 states, estimating total losses in the tens of millions of dollars. “This was organised deception on a national scale,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
NBA responds as investigation deepens
The NBA, which maintains partnerships with FanDuel and DraftKings, announced that Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave pending investigation.
Rozier’s attorneys described the arrest as a “publicity stunt,” insisting he will vigorously contest the charges. Billups and Jones have not yet issued official statements.
The scandal comes at an awkward time for the NBA, which has increasingly embraced the sports betting industry in recent years—a partnership now under uncomfortable scrutiny as the league faces one of its most damaging integrity crises in decades.
