The NBA announced Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier are being placed on ‘immediate leave’ after being arrested for involvement in two separate gambling schemes.
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the NBA said in a statement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Rozier is accused of taking part in an illegal sports betting scheme in which participants heavily bet against Rozier in a 2023 game when he was with the Hornets. The guard only played nine minutes in that game before exiting due to a sore foot. Rozier began his career with the Celtics and spent four seasons in Boston before being traded to Charlotte in the summer of 2019.
Billups is charged in an indictment that alleges he was involved in a conspiracy to rig underground poker games that were put together by Mafia families. Billups was one of 31 arrested as part of that scheme including former Cavs player and coach Damon Jones.
Rozier’s lawyer Jim Trusty released a statement to multiple media outlets after Rozier’s arrest.
“A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication,” Trusty said. “They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender, they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case.”
Rozier is currently in the final year of a four-year contract with the Heat and is making over $26 million this season. Billups was drafted by the Celtics in 1997 and has coached the Blazers since 2021.
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