The Los Angeles Clippers aimed to start fresh after a disappointing 2024-25 season. However, reports linking head coach Tyronn Lue to the NBA’s expanding gambling scandal quickly derailed that plan. It also possibly implicated retired star Kevin Garnett as well.
In October 2025, federal authorities exposed a nationwide operation that ran insider sports betting and a Mafia-backed poker network. This reportedly used high-tech cheating methods to defraud victims. They arrested Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former coach Damon Jones. This shook the league and exposed its growing ties to the gambling world. These revelations have raised urgent questions about the NBA’s integrity. Now, it seems these have also reached the Clippers’ doorstep.
If investigators confirm the allegations, Lue could be part of the dragnet. Investigative reporter Pablo Torre posted that Lue attended a rigged poker game in Las Vegas in April 2019. It is allegedly connected to the same Mafia-run operation at the center of the federal probe.
Although reports place Lue at a different table than Billups and no one has accused him of criminal activity, his presence has fueled speculation and criticism. For an NBA champion, respected leader, and steadying figure for the Clippers, the optics are troubling—and they put his judgment under a brighter spotlight than ever.
Lue’s name surfacing in this scandal couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Clippers. After another season cut short by injuries and inconsistency, the franchise is banking on stability to reignite its title hopes. Yet, the association with a national gambling investigation threatens to become an unwanted distraction.
To his credit, Lue addressed the issue briefly, expressing loyalty to Billups while emphasizing his disappointment over the allegations. Still, critics argue that this statement skirts how someone of his stature ended up in the same room where federal agents now allege organized crime ran a multimillion-dollar cheating scheme. It’s a fair question that speaks not only to personal judgment but also to the NBA’s broader vulnerability in this era of sports gambling.
For now, coach Tyronn Lue remains uncharged and firmly in command of the Clippers. That said, in a league desperately trying to restore public trust after the Billups scandal, even a whiff of controversy carries weight. Whether this rumor fades or festers may depend less on legal outcomes and more on how the Clippers perform under the glare of scandal.
