Social media was left in shock early Thursday morning (Oct. 23) as news of the FBI’s investigation of a widespread sports betting ring resulted in the arrest of several prominent NBA players and coaches.
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were arrested as part of a widespread , leaving social media in shock early Thursday morning.
Thirty-one people, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier Billupsand former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones, were taken into police custody in connection with the FBI’s probe. Billups, an NBA Hall of Famer, is reportedly not under investigation related to games he coached.
FBI Director Kash Patel spoke at a press conference in New York, detailing the “mind-boggling case” that he said involves “tens of millions of dollars.”
“Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families,” said Patel.
“The charges and the arrests that were taken down across this country range from wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, illegal gambling.”
Billups and Rozier’s indictment have to do with a fraud ring, one involving sports betting dubbed “Operation Nothing But Net” and the other illegal gambling dubbed “Operation Royal Flush.”
Social media is questioning how someone earning millions could risk their career like this.
“Now, the first thing everyone’s going to say is, ‘Terry Rozier makes so much money. Why is he gambling?’ Because gambling is an addiction. Whether you’re poor, whether you’re rich, whether you’re middle class, when that addiction gets to you, it gets to you,” said TikToker @itskahontv.
“How do you throw away your name, likeness, image, Hall of Fame legendary career for illegal gambling? How? You have millions. You had millions, and you have millions now, and that wasn’t enough. You throw it away for illegal gambling,” asked TikToker @1atrain.
This isn’t the first time Rozier has been under investigation possible gambling. During the 2022–23 season, when the 31-year-old was still with the Charlotte Hornets, a bettor placed nearly $14,000 on unders involving Rozier’s statistics before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier left the game after just nine minutes due to a foot injury, causing all of the under bets to hit. He was then investigated for possibly manipulating his performance as part of an illegal sports betting scheme.
Other users expressed concern about the growing number of gambling-related arrests, fearing it could hamper fans’ trust in the NBA.
“I just hate the fact that gambling has become so big and so popular that, it’s kind of ruining the integrity of sports. I just feel like everything is rigged now,” said TikToker @deethegod.
Both Rozier and Billups were on the sidelines Wednesday prior to their arrests. The pair’s legal team has not commented on the matter.
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