NBA raid – Portland coach and Miami player arrested

NBA scandal. Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier were arrested today as part of an investigation into illegal gambling, U.S. media reported. Their cases are not directly connected, but both are part of the same probe.

Billups was arrested in Oregon on suspicion of participating in an illegal poker operation run by the mafia, according to ABC News. Rozier was “caught” at a hotel in Oregon, Florida, and his case is of particular interest to sports betting enthusiasts.

The experienced guard (30) has been under scrutiny since a game between Charlotte and New Orleans on March 23, 2023. In just 46 minutes, a professional bettor placed 30 tickets totaling $13,759 on Rozier’s points, rebounds, and assists.

Bookmakers in several states noticed irregularities and removed the bets from their offerings. Rozier played only nine minutes and 36 seconds, leaving the court claiming a foot injury. He finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.

That season, he didn’t play again, and Charlotte, eight games before the regular season ended, was already out of playoff contention, so nothing seemed particularly suspicious at first glance.

However, the same prosecutor’s office had previously charged former NBA player Jontay Porter, who admitted that while he was a center for Toronto, he would intentionally leave games early due to alleged injuries or illness, allowing those with prior knowledge to bet that his performance would statistically underperform expectations.

Rozier, however, was cleared of any wrongdoing in 2023, though the NBA, in collaboration with legal sportsbooks, has been working to eliminate all forms of manipulation in the game.

“We’ve asked some of our partners (legal sportsbooks, ed.) to pay attention to certain bets, especially on players with two-way contracts, on guys who don’t have the same weight in the competition, who are easy to manipulate in ways that seem minor and don’t affect the final result. We are trying to put everything in its place, and working with sportsbooks we are learning along the way,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.

As for Billups, there are not many details. The former NBA champion has been on Portland’s bench since 2021. Rozier in Miami is completing the final season of a four-year, 96.3 million dollars contract.