On Thursday morning, the NBA world received a jolt when it was announced that Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were among dozens of defendants arrested by the FBI as part of a vast investigation into alleged illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia, per Shams Charania and David Purdum of ESPN. The news comes just days into the new NBA season, which began on Wednesday night for both the Heat and Blazers, with both team losing their season openers.
Among the other defendants arrested was former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones, who is one of three people charged both in the rigged poker games case and the sports gambling case.
On Thursday, the good folks over on NBA Reddit dug up an old interview of Gilbert Arenas on VladTV where he spoke on a 2006 series between his then-team, the Washington Wizards, and James' team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We're gambling during the series. Not LeBron, but me, Damon Jones, Larry Hughes, we're at LeBron's place, we're gambling,” said Arenas. “We're there three, four, five days during the series.”
Arenas went on to inform a confused DJ Vlad that he and his teammates were indeed hanging out with the opponents in the middle of a playoff series.
A huge investigation for the sports world
Of course, no one in the indictment has been convicted of anything yet, so all of the details in the case are simply allegations at this point.
However, the probe into Rozier had been going on for quite some time now, which coincided with a dramatic dip in his play with the Heat last season.
Meanwhile, Billups was hoping for a resurgent year out of his Blazers this season, looking to re-enter the playoff conversation in the crowded Western Conference, and the team held its own against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
In any case, more details on this case are likely to be announced over the coming days.
