With the arrests made by the FBI of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, the NBA has released a statement regarding the news on Thursday morning. As the NBA and sports world react to the arrests of Rozier and Billups, the league itself would break its silence on the news.
The statement would say they are “reviewing the federal indictments” and that both Rozier and Billups will be placed on “immediate leave from their teams.”
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the statement read. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
The FBI made arrests on Thursday morning, as it was for a wide array of reasons, as Rozier has allegations of “participating in an illegal sports betting scheme.” As for Billups, he is being charged for being part of a “wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games” which is connected to the mafia, according to The Associated Press.
“Portland coach Chauncey Billups is charged in an indictment alleging a wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games that were backed by La Cosa Nostra crime families, authorities said,” The Associated Press wrote. “Heat guard Terry Rozier is accused in a separate case of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said.”
Terry Rozier's attorney responds to the arrest made
While there has yet to be a statement from Billups' side, Rozier's attorney would respond to the arrest made after the Miami Heat lost to the Orlando Magic in their season opener. 125-121. Subsequently, in the statement to Pablo Torre, Rozier's Jim Trusty would say that prosecutors said there would be an “open line of communication” and was told that Rozier was not a “target” in the case.
“They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk,” Trusty said. “Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen what the next steps are for Rozier and Billups.
