LAS VEGAS, Nev. — It is critical for the NBA to be perceived as having integrity, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday, adding that the gambling scandals that led to the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier, Portland coach Chauncey Billups and others are being taken with the utmost seriousness.
Silver's comments in a news conference shortly before the start of the NBA Cup final were his first since Rozier, Billups and others were arrested in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gambling mecca that the league has used for major events like the Cup final and Summer League for some time.
“I think the fans care a lot," Silver said. “It’s hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are saying or what’s even on social media. Fans definitely care. And I mean it when I say, if this game isn’t viewed as being honest and the competition being on the level and at the highest integrity, over time we will lose our fan base. I have no doubt about that. And so, I take it incredibly seriously.”