The NBA has denied claims that it secretly benched Terry Rozier after his early exit from a March 23, 2023 game – the matchup now central to his federal gambling case.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Rich Eisen Show that Rozier “faked the injury” and that the NBA “pulled him” from the rest of the season after sportsbooks flagged suspicious betting.
“The sportsbooks caught it. They told the NBA right away,” Windhorst said. “Rozier didn’t play the rest of the season … The NBA pulled him. They pulled Jontay Porter too.”
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass pushed back strongly, saying, “Any assertion that the NBA had anything to do with Terry Rozier not playing games following his departure from the game on March 23, 2023, is categorically false. Per team doctors, Rozier had a real foot injury confirmed with an MRI.”
Windhorst later clarified his comments, noting the league was alerted to unusual betting but didn’t suspend Rozier.
“The cases were similar but slightly different,” he said, adding that while the NBA did pull Jontay Porter after repeated incidents, Rozier’s absence was team-related.
He also stressed there was “no conspiracy,” explaining, “The league investigated Rozier and decided to allow him to continue to play … It’s not a good look for the NBA, but that underscores their limited investigative power, not a cover-up.”
Rozier, now with the Miami Heat, remains on indefinite leave while facing federal gambling charges.
NBA Denies Claim They Shadow Suspended Terry Rozier In 2023 https://t.co/2gu7TXy0wg
— RealGM (@RealGM) October 24, 2025
