NBA Commissioner Silver “Deeply Disturbed” by Arrests of Billups, Rozier

In his first public comments since the arrests became public, Silver offered an apology to fans for the scandal overshadowing the start of the season. Both men were immediately placed on administrative leave by the NBA following their arrests.

Integrity of Competition is Paramount

Silver emphasized the league’s primary focus on maintaining fair play. He acknowledged the severe emotional impact of the allegations. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” Silver said.

He added that the initial news gave him a “pit in my stomach” and was “very upsetting.” The arrests are part of a broader federal investigation into illegal gambling and organized crime, which has resulted in over 30 arrests across 11 states.

Details on the Rozier Investigation

The charges against Terry Rozier relate to allegations of using insider information to place bets on NBA games. Rozier is accused of sharing a pending foot injury with an associate, Deniro Laster, in early 2023.

Laster and partners allegedly used this non-public information to successfully bet the “under” on Rozier’s expected statistics. This resulted in profits over $\$200,000$ after Rozier left the game after less than 10 minutes.

Silver addressed the league’s prior investigation into Rozier, which began in March 2023. He noted that the league found insufficient evidence to act, despite identifying unusual betting patterns. “Terry at the time cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview,” Silver noted.

He stressed that while the situation “doesn’t look good,” Rozier has not been convicted, requiring a balance of “protecting people’s rights and investigating.” The overall FBI probe covers illegal bets on at least seven NBA games from late 2022 through early 2024.

Billups and the Poker Scheme

The investigation into Chauncey Billups is connected to separate allegations involving high-stakes, rigged poker games. Authorities allege the games were operated by associates of New York crime families, including the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese groups.

Prosecutors claim that Billups, a well-known public figure, was used as a “face card” to attract wealthy victims to the rigged events. The scheme allegedly defrauded victims of over $\$7$ million. Billups now faces charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, along with money laundering.

The widening scandal follows similar integrity breaches involving former Raptors player Jontay Porter and an interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani. It has renewed calls from Silver and other sports leaders to eliminate individual “prop bets.” Such bets are viewed as highly susceptible to manipulation and increase the risk of players being targeted by illegal bettors.