NBA officials discussed the federal investigation that led to 34 arrests and imminent indictment hearings for Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones with members of a Congressional committee in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, ESPN reported.
Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Rozier, a point guard for the Miami Heat, were immediately placed on leave by the league. The NBA had cleared Rozier of wrongdoing after conducting its own independent investigation before the FBI and federal prosecutors unveiled the breadth of their case in Brooklyn last month.
ESPN reported the “information gathering” meeting included key NBA officials and multiple members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Members of the committee and other congressmen sent a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver in October seeking more details on matters directly and indirectly related to the alleged gambling ring and any knowledge of rigged poker games. Members of Congress also sent letters to Silver, according to reports.
Texas senator Ted Cruz (R) is the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. He said Oct. 28 a letter was sent to Silver regarding a “probe into how the NBA is protecting the integrity of the game.” Cruz said, “the NBA has not been accused of fixing these games and has taken steps to prevent sports betting among players, owners, and staff. The probe seeks to ensure that the NBA is acting in good faith and the American public can enjoy the sport without questioning the results or the fairness of the game.”
Jones, a former NBA player who has been around the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams in an unofficial role, is scheduled to be the first of the trio arraigned in a Thursday afternoon court appearance in Brooklyn.
He’s alleged to have given game-day details with for-profit motives to an organized gambling ring, tipping off the injury status and availability of players including former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates LeBron James in 2023.
The FBI and prosecutors shared partial details of eight NBA games flagged during the early stages of the investigation, many involving Rozier with either the Charlotte Hornets or Heat.
In the letter to Silver, congressional committee members ask for details behind the NBA decision to clear Rozier of wrongdoing.
“Reporting suggests that, like the incident involving Porter, the NBA opened an investigation of Rozier for gambling activity around the March 23 game mentioned above. However, reporting indicates the Association’s investigation ‘did not find a violation of NBA rules,'” the letter reads. “This Committee needs to understand the specifics of the NBA’s investigation and why Rozier was cleared to continue playing basketball.”
The committee also questions the apparent discrepancy in steps taken to clear Rozier of what would appear to be violations similar to the actions that lead to Toronto’s Johntay Porter receiving a lifetime ban in April.
“The NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life after a scheme (noticeably similar to the one Rozier allegedly organized in March 2023) where Porter tipped off friends that he would be ‘sick’ during a game. Porter’s actions were even more brazen: he bet on NBA games throughout 2024 and made thousands of dollars. Porter also pled guilty to federal charges related to the scheme.”
Billups is scheduled for arraignment Nov. 24. Rozier’s arraignment is listed on the federal court docket in Brooklyn on Dec. 8.
–Field Level Media
