Anfernee Simons is now with the Celtics, but still, he spent the past four seasons in Portland playing under coach Chauncey Billups. When there was the massive breaking news Thursday that Billups, Terry Rozier and others were arrested by the FBI for allegedly taking part in illegal gambling schemes, it was the main headline across the sports world.
Simons spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers from 2018-25 before getting traded to the Celtics this past summer. Billups took over as head coach for the organization starting with the 2021-22 season. Billups and Rozier are currently on “immediate leave” from the league following the arrests.
“Just in shock, obviously, I have a great relationship with Chauncey,” Simons said, via CLNS Media. “Speaking even after the trade, he’s checking in on me, I’m checking in on him. We have a great relationship. It’s an unfortunate situation for him to be in, especially with him and his family. All the media attention is coming in, the scrutiny.”
Billups was charged with an indictment that alleges he was involved in a conspiracy to rig underground poker games. There were also Mafia ties to the investigation as the FBI revealed their findings Thursday in a news conference. Billups was one of 31 people arrested; former Cavs player Damon Jones was also included.
As sports betting became legalized across the country in the past few years, there have also increasingly been illegal schemes across pro leagues. In the NBA, former player Jontay Porter was banned for life after he violated the league’s gambling policies that included him facing criminal charges. In the MLB, some pitchers like Emmanuel Clase are under league investigation for gambling.
NBA players have also been vocal about some of the vitriol directed at them from fans during games or otherwise. Oftentimes, fans will place prop bets on a specific player to hit certain benchmarks during games. But if they’re not hitting them, players have gotten complaints both in-game and on social media. There are other challenges, too, which Simons detailed.
“It’s always been a topic, obviously,” Simons said. “Gambling in the sports world is becoming a bigger thing. You just gotta make sure the players are aware of all the risks of simple conversations with different people or confidential information. You just gotta be careful of those conversations. That’s what they tell us just because it can be a tricky situation where you feel like you’re having a candid conversation with a friend or a mutual friend, and they’re trying to get information out of you.”
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