On Thursday morning in New York, the FBI announced one of the most shocking arrests in professional sports history — a sweeping criminal operation that connected the NBA to La Cosa Nostra, the Italian mafia. Among those arrested were Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player Damon Jones.

According to the FBI, this was the result of a four-year investigation spanning 11 states, involving 34 arrests and links to four major crime families — the Banano, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. The probe uncovered a vast network of illegal sports gambling, wire fraud, and money laundering, shaking the foundation of the NBA’s integrity.

The Terry Rozier Scandal

Rozier’s case began in March 2023, when he was still playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Investigators allege that he informed associates he would leave a game early with a fake injury. Those insiders placed more than $200,000 on “under” bets for his performance — and when Rozier exited after just nine minutes, they won tens of thousands of dollars.

While the NBA initially investigated and cleared him, the FBI continued digging and eventually linked him to seven suspicious games between 2022 and 2024. Authorities claim the profits from these bets were delivered to Rozier’s home, where he and others counted the cash together.

Chauncey Billups and the Rigged Poker Games

Billups, a Hall of Famer and NBA Finals MVP, was allegedly involved in underground poker games orchestrated by the mafia in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and the Hamptons. These games targeted wealthy individuals eager to play cards with NBA celebrities.

Unbeknownst to the victims, the games were completely rigged — with altered shuffling machines, marked cards, contact lenses that revealed card values, and even X-ray poker tables. The scheme stole over $7 million, and when victims refused to pay, mafia enforcers resorted to robbery and violence.

LeBron James Caught in the Crossfire

Although LeBron James was not accused of wrongdoing, his name appeared repeatedly in the indictment because of his longtime friend Damon Jones, who reportedly used inside information from LeBron’s inner circle to assist gamblers.

In one instance, just two days after LeBron broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record in February 2023, Jones allegedly leaked that LeBron would sit out a game before the team had made the announcement. Bettors used that information to win significant sums.

A Network of Corruption

Prosecutors described this as one of the most brazen corruption cases since the legalization of sports betting. The same network of gamblers was also linked to the Jontay Porter scandal earlier in 2024, in which Porter was banned for life after manipulating games to help gamblers profit from “under” bets.

Political Speculation and Fallout

During an episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith speculated that the timing of the arrests — one day after the NBA season began — could have political undertones, noting that FBI Director Kash Patel personally led the press conference. Others dismissed that theory, pointing out that the investigation began years earlier.

Regardless, the scandal has overshadowed the NBA’s opening week and raised serious questions about the league’s relationship with legalized sports betting.

The Future of the NBA

The FBI emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with nine unnamed co-conspirators still under scrutiny. The NBA has placed both Billups and Rozier on immediate leave, stating that “the integrity of our game remains a top priority.”

This case highlights the dark side of modern sports gambling — where players, coaches, and organized crime intersect. As one FBI official warned, this may be “just the tip of the iceberg.”