NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is currently in Gainbridge Fieldhouse at time of print, attending Thursday's NBA Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, but he is probably finding it difficult to focus on the action. The league was rocked by an FBI gambling investigation that has ties to the mafia, resulting in Detroit Pistons great and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones all being arrested along with 31 others.
Enes Freedom is holding the commish accountable for this jarring news. “ADAM SILVER MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY,” the former NBA center who used to go by the name Enes Kanter posted on X. “You can’t profit off gambling and then suddenly play the victim when it blows back on you. Use promo code #FireSilver.”
Freedom has made incendiary comments in the past, denouncing China's human rights record and the NBA's ongoing relationship with the country. He has also criticized LeBron James, whom Damon Jones allegedly shared non-public information about to bettors and co-conspirators, according to the indictment that dropped on Thursday. He is voicing his opinion again in the aftermath of this gambling bombshell, taking direct aim at Silver.
Although the 63-year-old commissioner has discussed the possibility of regulating sports betting in the past, the issue is obviously getting out of control. Former forward Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA in 2024 and ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, so Silver and the league were already under the microscope.
These latest allegations, which center around a Hall of Famer, two NBA figures who are far more well known than Porter and members/associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families, will bring a torrential downpour of bad optics to Silver's office. Professional sports' growing relationship with gambling will be a scorching hot topic this season.
Fans will be especially alert whenever something strange happens or there is an impromptu addition to the injury report. While there are presently only three NBA-related individuals charged in connection to this scandal, The Association has lost a significant amount of trust from the public. And Enes Freedom believes Adam Silver is at least partially to blame for that unfortunate and preventable situation.
