Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is accused of secretly sharing inside information with gamblers, allegedly revealing that his team intended to lose games on purpose so they could profit from betting on the outcomes, according to federal court filings.
Billups hasn’t been charged in connection with the scheme, but court documents suggest he may be the person referred to as “Co-Conspirator 8” in the indictment. Court documents allege that the former Detroit Pistons champion told a betting group ahead of time that the Trail Blazers planned to intentionally lose their March 24, 2023, game against the Chicago Bulls — and that the team’s top player would be sitting out.
No Escaping the Law
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Billups was arrested in a different case, accused of taking money from organized crime figures to take part in rigged poker games meant to lure in unsuspecting players eager to compete against a former sports star. Prosecutors say those players ended up losing millions in games that were fixed from the start.
However, the former NBA star is also linked to another indictment unsealed on Thursday, which accuses Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier — known as “Scary Terry” — along with Jones and four others, of sharing confidential information about NBA players and teams to aid in sports betting.
Although Billups isn’t formally charged in this second case, he’s reportedly mentioned as a co-conspirator.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also arrested as part of the same investigation, which has led to two indictments.
The Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Toronto Raptors were named in the sports betting investigation by U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York during a press conference.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the 30-plus arrests across the NBA and organized crime as “historic.”
“This is an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operation that spans the course of years,” said Patel, who added that the operation crossed 11 states. Billups, 49, faces charges for his alleged involvement in an illegal poker operation tied to organized crime.
Polluting the Game
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Billups, a former NBA star who played from 1997 to 2014, is now in his fifth season as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Nocella said Billups’ alleged involvement in the gambling case took place after his playing career ended but before he became Portland’s coach in 2021.
He was arrested Thursday morning in Oregon, just a day after coaching the Blazers in their 118–114 season-opening loss to the Timberwolves. Billups has a 117–212 coaching record with the team.
During his playing days, Billups spent most of his career with the Detroit Pistons, also suiting up for the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Celtics, Raptors, and Knicks. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
The alleged gambling ring he’s accused of being connected to reportedly defrauded victims out of tens of millions of dollars.
