The NBA is facing one of its biggest controversies in years after Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and coach Damon Jones were arrested on Thursday over alleged roles in sweeping gambling schemes that have rocked the league.
Federal investigators say Rozier and several others shared confidential details about players and games with bettors who cashed in on insider information.
Some of the players whose details were leaked reportedly had no clue their private updates were being used for betting purposes.
According to court documents, Rozier, who was then Charlotte’s starting point guard, told an associate before a game that he planned to leave early with an injury.
Bettors wagered over $200,000 on his in-game stats based on that tip. He left the match after just nine minutes, citing a foot injury.
Prosecutors say the bets “generated tens of thousands of dollars in profits,” and later, Rozier and one of the suspects allegedly met at his home to count the cash.
In a related case, the indictment also accuses one defendant, Eric Earnest, of placing huge bets against the Portland Trail Blazers after being told by a “co-conspirator 8” that the team planned to rest its key players while “tanking” to improve its draft position.
The bets, totaling more than $100,000, reportedly paid off handsomely.
The unnamed “co-conspirator 8” was described as a former NBA player active from 1997 to 2014 and a coach since 2021, a profile that fits Billups. His arrest, however, is said to stem from a different case involving alleged mafia-linked poker games that were rigged for profit.
Damon Jones was also caught up in the scandal. At the time, he was working informally with the Los Angeles Lakers. Prosecutors claim Jones texted a contact before LeBron James’s ankle injury became public, saying, “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! (Player 3) is out tonight.” The Bucks went on to beat the Lakers 115-106, while James missed that game and two more.
At the time of writing, NBA has yet to comment publicly, but league officials are reportedly preparing disciplinary measures as the FBI investigation continues.
