NBA’s Adam Silver ‘deeply disturbed’ by Billups, Rozier gambling indictments
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public statement since federal charges were filed against Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier, as well as former player Damon Jones, in a sweeping gambling-related scheme.
“My initial reaction was that I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said in an interview on Friday’s Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. “There is nothing more important to the league and the fans than the integrity of the competition. I felt a pit in my stomach. It was very sad.
“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation.”
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver holds a press conference at Chase Center during the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco, United States, on February 15, 2025. (Tayfun Coşkun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Early Friday, Congress stepped in.
On Friday, the House Commerce Committee sent Silver a letter requesting information and a briefing on the scandal.
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.”
NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI’S GAMBLING INVESTIGATION
The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Rozier was arrested because federal authorities alleged that he conspired with his associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to those faced by former Toronto player Jontay Porter before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.
Billups faces wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges for participating in what federal authorities call Mafia-sponsored rigged poker games. It also matches the credentials of someone identified only as Collaborator 8 in an indictment detailing that certain individuals gave bookmakers inside information about players’ health conditions.
The arrests cast a shadow over the league’s opening week.
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(Left) Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to the referee during a timeout in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center on October 10, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. (Right) Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) leaves the court after the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on November 12, 2024. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images;Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
Rozier’s case has been ongoing since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at the time, and legal sports betting had alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s “prop bets” that day. Rozier went on to play for nearly 9 1/2 minutes, and those who bet that he would perform below the listed stat lines won those bets. More than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone, federal officials said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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