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Three active athletes face charges related to illegal sports gambling, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were arrested in October, with Rozier allegedly taking himself out of a game early on purpose so friends could take advantage of bets on his “under” props.
There have since been reports that the NBA is interested in eliminating “under” betting, and in the wake of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers being arrested, Major League Baseball has moved to limit bets on specific fields.
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Seven-time NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame during the 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)
It’s an action basketball Hall of Famer and Heat legend Alonzo Mourning wants the NBA to take.
“You need the front office to regulate it. I mean, every network is promoting gambling right now, you know? You get all types of gambling outlets now through every sport. You go to different arenas and they’re promoting gambling during the game. So you have to let the front offices regulate this and clean it up. You know, it’s as simple as that, it’s just not fun to see that with Fox in an interview with Fox.
“It puts a stigma on these sports leagues. It’s something, you know, these front offices have to clean up. So I think the NBA — they’re going to do what they have to do to clean up the image, as well as baseball, as well as football, whatever sport is dealing with this crisis, because it looks like gambling is here to stay. Now I haven’t seen it soon, I haven’t seen it soon. I think it’s going anywhere.”
Alonzo Mourning shoots a layup against the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 1, 2005. (Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
NBA LEGEND REFLECTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE GAME AND HIS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with intentionally throwing balls. Officials said in the indictment that from May 2023 to June 2025, Clase agreed with a co-conspirator to “throw specific pitches in certain MLB games” so that the bettors they allegedly colluded with “would benefit from illegal betting based on this inside information.” Ortiz reportedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
Emmanuel Clase, left, and Luis Ortiz, were indicted in a federal gambling investigation on Nov. 9, 2025. (IMAGIN)
The NBA figures were among nearly 30 people indicted for gambling rings that also involved the Mafia, including illegal poker games.
