NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups during a recent interview. Both were taken into federal custody on Thursday in connection to illegal gambling and sports betting.
“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. It was very upsetting.”
Rozier, arrested at an Orlando hotel, is accused of providing insider NBA information to co-conspirators, allowing large bets to be placed on games over the past two years. Billups, taken into custody at his Portland home, faces charges tied to mafia-linked illegal poker operations in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Silver explained the NBA’s previous investigation into Rozier. “Because bets were placed through legalized betting companies, aberrational behavior was detected around a particular game in March of 2023. Terry cooperated, gave the league his phone, and we concluded there was insufficient evidence to move forward,” he said.
Both Rozier and Billups were arraigned in federal court Thursday and released on bail. Rozier posted a $6 million home as collateral and will forfeit his passport, while Billups must surrender his passport and is restricted from traveling outside New York until trial. Tiago Splitter has been named interim head coach in Portland.
Silver stressed the difference between league authority and federal powers. “The federal government has extraordinary powers that a league office doesn’t. We’ve been working with them since the investigation began, but two and a half years later, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything,” he said, emphasizing the balance between protecting rights and investigating allegations.
Rozier’s case ties back to a prior investigation involving Jontay Porter, and the operation now includes more than 30 arrests. Damon Jones is also implicated, accused of passing NBA information to betting networks.
The arrests have sent shockwaves through the NBA, pausing the careers of Rozier and Billups and creating uncertainty for both the Heat and Trail Blazers. The FBI has described the case as a multi-state criminal enterprise involving wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion, with additional arrests expected.
