Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with a federal investigation into sports betting, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The exact charge(s) they faced were not immediately known. Two people spoke to the AP about Rozier on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details of the investigation publicly. One of these people also told the AP about Billups’ arrest.
The NBA had no immediate comment. The league has previously investigated Rozier and is still investigating the actions of former Detroit player Malik Beasley, one of the sources told AP.
Rozier was in uniform when the Heat played the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday night, although he did not play in the game. He was taken into custody early Thursday morning in Orlando. The team did not immediately comment on the arrest.
A message was left Thursday with Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty. Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier was told an initial investigation found he had done nothing wrong after meeting with NBA and FBI officials in 2023, the sports network reported.
FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials were expected to provide more information at a news conference Thursday.
The case was filed by the same U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted former NBA player Jontay Porter. The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew from games prematurely, due to illness or injury, so that those in the know could make a big profit by betting on him to underperform expectations.
A game involving Rozier was played on March 23, 2023, a game between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes, 36 seconds of that game – and not only did not return that night due to a foot problem, but did not play again that season. Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in the playoffs, so it didn’t seem particularly unusual for Rozier to be shut down for the final games of the season.
In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period – a productive quarter, but well below his usual total performance for a full game.
Reports still online from March 23, 2023 show that some bettors were outraged at sportsbooks that night when it became clear Rozier would not return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, with many taking to social media to say something “shady” had happened regarding the prop bets regarding his stats for the night.
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