Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested Thursday morning on federal charges that he participated in rigged poker games and used his celebrity status to attract players to underground games fixed by the Mafia.
Billups was one of more than 30 people indicted in two separate cases involving NBA figures. And, almost immediately, the internet went to work forming opinions.
Here are some of the reactions:
A much-discussed podcast clip from 2023 is making the rounds. On the “Only Friends Podcast,” professional poker player Matt Berkey talks about a poker game “built around Chauncey Billups” around 2019. He didn’t play in the game, but he said, “It was for sure confirmed to be cheated.”
You can watch the whole clip here:
Of course, there have been Portland-based jokes.
“They sent the feds into Portland and they’ve only been able to get Chauncey Billups,” wrote one X user.
“Is there anyone having a weirder and worse time than a Beaver/Blazer/Mariner fan?” wrote Ashtyn Butuso.
And more general jokes.
“Someone could wake up today and say ‘The NBA is in serious trouble’ and you wouldn’t know if they were talking about Wembanyama’s 40 piece or the FBI arresting players and coaches for gambling violations,” wrote another X user.
“Chauncey Billips’ defense is that he was ‘raising money for the White House Ballroom Fund’ and legal experts are calling it the most impressive argument of all time,” wrote a Bluesky user.
There have been memes, like this one posted by Kevin Love, NBA player and former Lake Oswego resident (where Billups was arrested), in which Billups and NBA player Terry Rozier, also arrested Thursday, are photoshopped onto the cheating couple caught on camera at a Coldplay concert.
There was also a good amount of commentary on the fact that Billups was hired even though he was accused of sexual assault, over Becky Hammon.
“Becky Hammon lost the job to Chauncey and proceeded to win 3 of the next 4 WNBA chips…mayyyybe give her a call??" wrote a Threads user.
And conspiracy theories.
“My reaction to the Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier news is that I don’t trust anything Kash Patel does to be on the level,” wrote Aaron Rupar on Bluesky.
And Stephen A. Smith warned that President Donald Trump could be coming for other sports.
“The craziest thing about the NBA gambling scandal is release the Epstein files,” wrote Jason Selvig on Threads.
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