Stephen A. Smith turned First Take into must-watch television once again, addressing the NBA’s latest gambling scandal with his trademark intensity and conviction, AwfulAnnouncing reports. The segment aired shortly after the FBI confirmed the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in connection with separate but related federal betting investigations.
According to reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania and ABC News, Rozier was arrested at a hotel in Orlando while Billups was taken into custody in Oregon. ABC also reported that Billups faces charges related to “an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia,” citing police sources. Damon Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, was later identified as a third person arrested. Full details on the charges have not yet been released, but the cases appear tied to a broader investigation that began after suspicious betting activity was reported during a Hornets and Pelicans game in 2023. That game involved Rozier, who exited with what was described as a foot injury. The probe eventually led to Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter receiving a lifetime ban earlier this year.
Stephen A. draws a line to Trump
As the sports world reacted to the arrests, Smith shifted the discussion on First Take toward a larger theme. After opening the show with Victor Wembanyama’s stellar debut, the crew turned to the betting scandal, and Smith took the opportunity to issue a warning.
“How many times have I said, Trump is coming? He’s coming,” Smith said. “Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl and you’re hearing ICE might be there. Now we’ve got the FBI involved in the NBA. Remember, Trump has a long history in sports because of those casinos.”
He connected Trump’s business background and his long-standing clashes with professional sports to what he views as a larger moment of reckoning. “Anybody that’s been around him, anybody that’s talked to him, they’re not surprised at what’s happening today,” Smith continued. “It’s a warning that more is coming. This is as serious as it gets.”
Smith added that the scandal could be only the beginning of a deeper crisis. “People inside the NBA, inside the NFL, they’re saying this is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “Everybody better brace themselves. Because he’s coming.”
Whether Smith’s warning proves accurate or not, one thing is clear: the NBA’s betting controversy has taken an even darker turn, and First Take found itself right in the middle of it.
