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Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat and Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers have been apprehended, according to a report by senior NBA insider Shams Charania from ESPN.
The arrests come in connection with an FBI investigation into unlawful sports betting and gambling activities. A press conference with Kash Patel, Director of the FBI, along with representatives from the Eastern District of New York, is scheduled for later Thursday at 16:00 CET.
Rozier, 30, was taken into custody early Thursday morning at a hotel in Orlando. He did not participate in the Miami Heat’s season opener against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, despite having been medically cleared to play after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Betting irregularities involving Rozier’s performance before a game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans were noted. Notably, a professional gambler placed 30 bets within a 46-minute span, amounting to $13,759, while Rozier exited the game just ten minutes in due to a foot injury.
After spending two seasons at Louisville under coach Rick Pitino, Rozier was selected by the Boston Celtics as the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played for the Celtics for four years before moving to the Hornets from 2019 to 2024, and subsequently getting traded to the Heat during the 2023-24 season.
Billups, 49, was arrested in Oregon as part of a distinct yet interconnected illegal gambling investigation concerning a poker operation associated with organized crime, as reported by ABC News. The former NBA Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 has served as the head coach of the Blazers since 2021.
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