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Congress is seeking information related to the recent FBI investigation into gambling and game-fixing that has incriminated three current and former players.
The House Committee on Commerce sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Friday requesting information and a briefing to obtain information related to the scandal that resulted in the federal indictment of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference before a preseason NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors in Saitama, near Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
The two-part letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The committee seeks five key points of information from Silver:
“1. Details of the fraudulent, illegal and alleged betting practices involving NBA players, coaches and officials, including actions by NBA players and coaches identified in the latest indictment; as well as prior cases, some of which are identified above.
“2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit disclosure of non-public information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for Players and Coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including disclosure of non-public information for the purpose of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the gaps that may exist in the existing betting schemes and where illegal schemes may occur. How the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies,” the letter said.
The letter also refers to comments made by Silver during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” in which the commissioner expressed support for more federal regulation of sports betting.
“I think there probably should be more regulation, frankly,” Silver said. “I wish there was federal legislation instead of state by state. I think you have to monitor the amount of advertising, the amount of advertising around it.”
Pakinomist Digital has reached out to the NBA for a response to the letter.
The Ministry of Justice listed seven NBA games that saw high stakes after non-public information was revealed to players.
Rozier’s alleged involvement came through a game on March 23, 2023, when he told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would take himself out of a game early, citing an injury, so that Laster could place bets based on the information. Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.
NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE
Laster then allegedly sold this information to other co-conspirators, and several people bet a total of about $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” prop bets to hit both parlay and straight bets. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted winnings at Rozier’s home in Charlotte about a week later, the indictment states.
The DOJ says the player was eventually ruled out with a lower-body injury — LeBron James didn’t play that night because of an ankle injury that kept him out for two more games. The game in question took place two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s leading scorer.
Another game the DOJ cited was a Portland Trail Blazers-Chicago Bulls matchup on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier played nine minutes, in which a co-conspirator, “an NBA coach at the time,” allegedly told a longtime friend who is also charged in the rigged poker scheme that the Blazers would be “the best draft night for the best team, and it would be a better thanksgiving night” players. The rest of the players had not yet been public information.
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.
