The NBA world was rocked hard on Friday morning (Thursday, US time) when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested player Terry Rozier, coach Chauncey Billups, and former pro Damon Jones, among others, for their alleged role in gambling-related activities.
Why Were Chauncey Billups and Company Arrested?
In a press conference after the sweeping arrests, the FBI alleged that Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones were part of two separate illegal gambling cases—”Operation Nothing But Net” and “Operation Royal Flush.”
According to the FBI, Rozier and Jones used insider information to manipulate bets, with Rozier purportedly altering his on-court play to do the same.
Billups, on the other hand, is alleged to have been part of an illegal poker enterprise supposedly run by the La Cosa Nostra, otherwise known as the Italian Mafia, and using high-tech technology to steal millions of dollars from victims.
The FBI also revealed that Jones was part of both cases.
FBI Goes into Details
In the same press conference, the FBI cited a game on March 23, 2023, where Rozier purportedly told defendants he was going to leave a game early with an injury. They then placed more than $200,000 of wagers on the unders for his prop bets—and, true enough, Rozier left the game after only nine minutes. The defendants thus won thousands of dollars in profits, which they say Rozier himself counted in his house.
The FBI also alleged that Jones tipped off an “unnamed co-conspirator” that close friend LeBron James would miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ February 2023 game against the Milwaukee Bucks—information that was not yet public or known to oddsmakers. James did miss said game, and the Bucks went on to win 115-106.
In Chauncey Billups’ case, meanwhile, the FBI alleged that the Portland Trail Blazers coach and Jones were used to lure victims into participating in rigged poker games where altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, and X-ray poker tables, among others, were used to manipulate the outcomes.
Both Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups have been placed on immediate leave after their arrests pending investigation.
(This is a developing story.)
