“Earthquake” in the NBA! A Miami Heat basketball player and an American legend, picked up by the FBI because of the betting mafia
Article by Sebastian Vasile – Published on Thursday, 23 October 2025, 16:46 / Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2025 16:52
Terry Rozier, the 31-year-old Miami Heat basketball player, was arrested this morning. Shortly thereafter, Chauncey Billups, the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was also detained, both in cases related to involvement in the illegal betting mafia, ABC and CBS note, according to sportal.rs. Damon Jones, 49, a former 10-season NBA player, was also arrested in Las Vegas as part of the investigation, along with more than a dozen members of the gambling ring, an FBI spokesman told NBC News.
Terry Rozier was arrested in Orlando, Florida as part of a sports betting investigation. The District Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET to announce the arrests made during the investigation.
In fact, Rozier has been under investigation since January for possible involvement in an illegal sports betting scheme that allegedly took place in 2023, while Rozier was still playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
Then bookies in several states reported suspicious interest in betting on Rozier's stats ahead of the Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game on March 23, 2023. There was an unexpected flurry of bets, including 30 bets in 46 minutes by a professional bettor totaling $13,759, all under the points, Rozier's rebounds and assists. This prompted bookmakers to suspend betting on the player's performance. Rozier, then playing for the Hornets, played just 10 minutes before leaving the game, citing a foot injury.
Terry Rozier is an NBA veteran with ten years of experience. He is 31 years old and had a career-best season in 2022-23, averaging 21.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the Hornets. He also played for the Boston Celtics and is currently a member of the Miami Heat.
A betting group is accused of working with Jontay Porter to manipulate his performances in NBA games. That's when significant bets were placed against Rozier during a Hornets game in 2023. That investigation is part of a larger federal investigation that has already targeted Porter.
Arrested and Chauncey Billups, coach included in the Hall of Fame in 2024!
In addition to Rozier, Portland coach Chauncey Billups, NBA champion and Finals MVP with Detroit in 2004, was also arrested. Billups, a former Detroit Pistons player who spent 17 years in the NBA, was arrested in Portland. A five-time All-Star, Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
After retiring in 2014, Billups worked as an NBA analyst for ESPN. After one season as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, he was hired by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.
Members and associates of organized crime groups are also among dozens of people expected to face criminal charges in two separate cases related to illegal gambling. The FBI and other officials will announce the charges later this morning, officials said.
