Charles Barkley didn’t hold back Thursday as the NBA’s alleged betting scandal, which has ensnared Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, unfolded on live television. The Hall of Famer and TNT staple fired off on accountability, the league’s response, and what the arrests mean for the sport.
The federal probe, announced Wednesday, resulted in multiple arrests tied to a sprawling gambling and rigged-poker investigation. Officials allege a range of misconduct, from insider betting to manipulated underground poker games. Both Rozier and Billups face criminal charges; prosecutors say the schemes stretched beyond casual wagering and involved organized-crime elements, via Pablo Torre on X, formerly Twitter. The NBA has begun placing people on leave and is coordinating with authorities as the situation develops.
On ESPN’s Inside the NBA, Barkley zeroed in on the league’s handling. “The NBA dropped the ball, bottom line, yes or no?” he asked, then pushed back at the idea that this was strictly a gambling-addiction issue. When co-host Kenny Smith called gambling an addiction, Barkley shot back that the recent allegations reflect plain bad judgment, not sickness. “These dudes are stupid,” Barkley said. “Under no circumstances can you fix basketball games… Rozier makes $26 million. How much is he going to benefit?”
Kenny Smith on the NBA betting scandal: "We have to realize gambling is an addiction. The addiction of it is what makes you make illogical decisions…"
Charles Barkley: "That's not addiction. That's stupidity… You can't fix basketball games… That's just total… pic.twitter.com/0z27urhGw1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 23, 2025
Barkley’s take brought up the question of integrity. He argued the NBA must do more than rely on public-relations fixes; it must shore up internal protocols and policing to protect the game’s credibility. That pressure arrives as sportsbooks and casual bettors increasingly wager on prop markets that, critics say, make small-game manipulation attractive.
Terry Rozier’s on-court profile complicates the optics. The Miami Heat guard averaged 10.6 points last season and has been a rotation piece relied on for spot scoring and defense. Any allegation that a player used nonpublic information or feigned injury to influence betting markets hits fans and players alike. The Heat, the NBA, and legal authorities now face the task of separating allegation from evidence while preserving due process.
Barkley’s point was simple, when trust erodes, the product on the court becomes suspect.
