Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday morning as part of two separate gambling investigations.
Rozier was under investigation after sportsbooks in multiple states flagged suspicious betting interest on his statistics ahead of a game on March 23, 2023.
Billups was allegedly linked to an illegal poker operation with ties to the Mafia.
Here are more details from ESPN:
Rozier was arrested Thursday morning at a hotel in Orlando, Florida. The Heat lost their season opener to the Magic on Wednesday, when Rozier did not play due to a coach’s decision.
Billups’ arrest in Oregon was made as part of a separate but related illegal gambling case linked to an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, according to an ABC News report. Billups is expected to make an initial court appearance later Thursday.
Also, former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested Thursday on charges that he provided inside information about NBA games to co-defendants who used it to place sports bets, according to ABC News. Jones, 49, played for 10 NBA teams over an 11-year career from 1998 to 2009 and was a Cavaliers assistant from 2016 to 2018.
The Eastern District of New York and FBI director Kash Patel will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. ET Thursday to announce arrests from the investigations.
