NBA faces congressional inquiry over FBI game-fixing investigation

Congress is seeking information regarding the FBI’s recent investigation into gambling and game fixing that resulted in the arrest of three current and former players.

The House Commerce Committee on Friday sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver requesting a briefing on the scandal that resulted in federal indictments against Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones.

The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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The committee requests information from Silver on five key points:

“1. Details regarding fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices associated with NBA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches set forth in the latest indictment, as well as prior examples, some of which are noted above,” the letter states.

“2. Actions that the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of non-public information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for players and coaches effectively prohibits illegal activities, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purpose of illegal betting schemes. 4. A description of gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. 5. Whether the NBA intends to implement Sports betting schemes.” “It is re-evaluating the terms of its partnerships with its companies.”

The letter also references comments Silver made Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” in which he expressed support for the commissioner’s greater federal sports betting regulation.

“Frankly, I think there probably needs to be more regulation,” Silver said. “I wish there was federal legislation instead of state by state. I think you have to watch the amount of publicity, the amount of advertising around it.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the NBA for a response to the letter.

Ministry of Justice listed seven NBA games where high bets were made after non-public information was revealed to gamblers.

Rozier’s alleged involvement came on March 23, 2023, when he told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would take him out of the game early, citing an injury, so Laster could punt on the information. According to the indictment, neither Hornets officials nor bookmakers were informed of Rozier’s plan, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI’S GAMBLING INVESTIGATION

Laster then allegedly sold this information to other conspirators, and numerous individuals placed bets totaling approximately $200,000 on Rozier’s “underdog” prop bets to succeed in both parlay and straight bets. Rozier won the bets after playing just nine minutes and never returning. The indictment states that Rozier and Laster counted the cash proceeds about a week later at Rozier’s home in Charlotte.

The DOJ said the player was ultimately ruled out due to a lower-body injury. LeBron James did not play that night due to an ankle injury that kept him out for two more games. The game in question took place two days after James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer by scoring 38 points.

Another game cited by the DOJ was the Portland Trail Blazers-Chicago Bulls matchup on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier played nine minutes, and a co-conspirator “who was an NBA coach at the time” allegedly told a longtime friend who was also a defendant in the fraudulent poker scheme that the Blazers would “tank” for a better draft pick that night and that the team would be one of the team’s best players. He said he would seat some of them. The rest of the cast has not yet been publicly announced.

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Rozier and Jones were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Rozier and Billups were placed on immediate leave from their teams and “we will continue to cooperate with the appropriate authorities.”

“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.

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