In a major development shaking the NBA, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with an ongoing sports betting investigation, according to law enforcement officials who spoke with CNN Sports.
Authorities also confirmed that former NBA player Damon Jones faces related charges in the same probe, expanding the scope of the investigation that has sent shockwaves through professional basketball.
CNN Sports has reached out to Rozier’s legal team, the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the NBA for official statements, though none have commented publicly as of press time.
According to officials, the case extends beyond sports betting. In a separate but connected scheme, Chauncey Billups, a Basketball Hall of Famer, five-time NBA All-Star, and 2004 NBA champion, is alleged to have taken part in an illegal high-stakes poker ring operating across Manhattan, Miami, Las Vegas, and the Hamptons.
The underground poker games reportedly involved members of at least three New York mafia families, investigators revealed. Both Billups and Jones allegedly received payments for their participation, with Jones even requesting a $2,500 advance payment before attending one of the poker events.
The ongoing investigation could have serious implications for the NBA, which has maintained a zero-tolerance policy toward gambling-related offenses among players and officials.