Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, two familiar names in NBA circles, were arrested Thursday as part of a sweeping FBI probe into illegal sports betting and underground poker games, according to ESPN and other outlets. NBC also reported that former Cavaliers sharpshooter Damon Jones was taken into custody, as federal agents move on what they called “numerous arrests in illegal sports betting and poker schemes.” If you were hoping for a quiet start to the season, well, dream on.
Sources told The Post that Billups, 49, faces charges tied to an illegal poker operation allegedly connected to organized crime, and the timing was almost cinematic; he was arrested in Oregon early Thursday, less than 24 hours after coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to a 118-114 season-opening loss to the Timberwolves. The quick sequence of events, coach on the bench one night, cuffed the next morning, will make for plenty of headlines. Billups, a five-time All-Star, Finals MVP, Hall of Famer enshrined last year, has been Portland’s coach since 2021 and holds a 117-212 record at the helm.
Terry Rozier, 31, was arrested at a hotel in Orlando, according to reports, a day after he sat out the Miami Heat’s 125-121 loss to the Magic despite being listed as available. Rozier, in the final season of a four-year, $96.3 million contract, landed in Miami midway through last season after four years with Charlotte. NBC and ESPN say federal investigators have had Rozier on their radar for suspicious betting activity tied to a March 23, 2023 game between the Hornets and the Pelicans. NBA spokesman Mike Bass told reporters earlier this year, “In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” adding the league “conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules.” The league is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is running this probe.
That March game is already notorious; Rozier played just 9 minutes and 36 seconds, logged five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal before exiting with what was described as a foot injury, and an X user claimed to have been “tipped off” that he would leave early. Sportsbooks reportedly saw a rush of prop bets on Rozier’s Under, forcing some books to halt wagering. Rozier met multiple times with NBA and FBI officials in 2023; in January he said, “On advice from counsel, I can’t answer any questions about that matter,” through his attorney Jim Trusty.
FBI Director Kash Patel and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are expected to hold a Thursday morning press conference to lay out more details, which everyone will be watching. This investigation could upend careers and, frankly, it underscores a broader point conservatives have made for years; when lawlessness, questionable money, and celebrity culture mix, institutions and ordinary people pay the price. If the allegations are true, the league will have more than PR damage control to deal with; it will need real fixes to protect game integrity and public trust, and federal law enforcement will have to do its job without fear or favor.
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