Chauncey Billups is dumped by Portland Trail Blazers as chilling mafia messages are revealed in NBA gambling scandal: Live updates

By MAX WINTERS, US DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR and RACHEL BOWMAN, US NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 16:13 EDT, 23 October 2025

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been replaced on an interim basis by former NBA player Tiago Splitter following Billups’ arrest in a federal gambling indictment. 

The NBA was thrust into a full-blown crisis on Thursday morning after the FBI revealed a series of wide-ranging investigations into Mafia-led gambling rackets, with Portland Trail Blazers head coach Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier among the 34 arrested.

The FBI indictment revealed ominous text messages involving several members of infamous organized crime families connected to the gambling probe, including the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese mobs.

Texts in the document showed that one of the accused gangsters sent intimidating messages to one of the victims, threatening them for unpaid gambling debts.

‘Watch what’s good now. You’ve been running your mouth unchecked,’ one message read.  

Follow for live updates… 

Trailblazers tap Tiago Splitter as interim head coach

The Portland Trailblazers selected assistant Tiago Splitter as the interim head coach after placing Chauncey Billups on leave.

‘We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation,’ the team said.

‘Billups has been placed on immediate leave, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim. Any further questions should be directed to the NBA.’

Former Toronto Raptors Jontay Porter is mentioned, but not named as defendant, in the massive NBA gambling scheme unveiled today.

Porter has admitted to tipping off gamblers in the $1 million scheme that resulted in his lifetime suspension from the league.

He pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, and could face up to four years in prison and owe nearly $500,000 in fines.

Porter claims he made bets and schemed to withdraw from games ‘in order to get out from under gambling debt.’

Today’s indictment mentions two of the games Porter pulled out of, claiming the information was given to one of the defendants to place bets on.

Chilling text messages between mobsters in NBA gambling scheme

The indictment revealed chilling text messages sent by alleged members of the mafia throughout the multimillion-dollar NBA gambling scheme.

Texts in the document showed that one of the accused mobsters sent intimidating messages to one of the victims.

‘Watch what’s good now. You’ve been running your mouth unchecked,’ he said to the victim.

The defendant then allegedly texted another mafia member a few days later, ‘I punched somebody in the face the other day.’

Who are the unnamed NBA players mentioned in the indictment?

The indictments contain the description of several unnamed NBA players whose injury status and availability was used to influence sports betting.

They are not accused of any wrongdoing and there is no indication that they would have even known what was being said about their status for those games.

Based on a review of corresponding injury reports and the games mention, those players appear to be: LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.

Rozier’s lawyer insists he is ‘not a gambler’

Jim Trusty, attorney for Terry Rozier, insisted his client is ‘not a gambler.’

‘They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing,’ Trusty said in a statement.

‘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.’

Billups made poker reference hours before arrest

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups made a ironic reference about poker during a press conference just hours before his arrest on Wednesday.

He said the phrase during his postgame press conference after Portland’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

‘That pressure thing is nothing to me, man. I do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may, you know that about me,’ Billups said.

DraftKings pledges to work with NBA on integrity

A spokesman for DraftKings, the second largest US sportsbook and a partner of the NBA, told The New York Times that it would continue to work closely with the league on game integrity.

‘While regulation cannot eliminate all concerns related to game integrity, it significantly reduces risks by enabling collaboration between operators, leagues, teams, and relevant authorities to identify and hold accountable anyone engaged in illegal behavior,’ the DraftKings spokesman said.

‘We know our fans value the authenticity of competition, and we take the responsibility of reporting suspicious activity seriously.’

NBA commissioner called for checks on sports betting days before gambling bust

Earlier this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the league was working closely with sportsbooks to combat manipulation attempts by its players.

‘We’ve asked some of our partners to pull back some of the prop bets, especially when they’re on two-way players, guys who don’t have the same stake in the competition, where it’s too easy to manipulate something, which seems otherwise small and inconsequential to the overall score,’ Silver said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

‘We’re trying to put in place — learning as we go and working with the betting companies – some additional control to prevent some of that manipulation.’

Who is Damon Jones?

Former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones, 49, was arrested in connection with a federal investigation into illegal gambling.

He was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly was involved with the betting scheme.

He had been coaching since at least 2014 after finishing an 11-year NBA playing career.

He is from Galveston, Texas, and played for Houston in college before joining several NBA teams in New Jersey, Boston, Golden State, Dallas, Vancouver, Detroit, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Miami and Cleveland.

Jones averaged 11.6 points in the 2004-05 season with Miami, his only season scoring in double figures.

Jones joined Cleveland’s coaching staff in 2014 as a shooting consultant. He also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN in 2018.

Pictured: Damon playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2009

Hakeem Jeffries reacts to NBA gambling probe

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacted to the NBA gambling indictments during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

‘It’s a stunning development. The indictment seems very wide-ranging. Of course, every single one of the individuals charged are entitled to the presumption of innocence,’ he said.

‘But it was a development that I think shocks the conscience of a lot of folks, particularly those who follow the NBA closely.’

Justice Department lists games in question in gambling probe

In a news conference this morning, the FBI revealed how NBA coaches and players allegedly used non-public information about basketball games for others to make a betting profit.

These were the games in which the illegal activity happened, as listed by the Justice Department:

March 23, 2023 — Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans PelicansMarch 24, 2023 — Portland Trail Blazers vs. Chicago BullsApril 6, 2023 — Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland CavaliersFebruary 9, 2023 — Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks January 15, 2024 — Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City ThunderJanuary 26, 2024 — Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Clippers March 20, 2024 — Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento KingsSuspects used violence against gambling victims, prosecutors say

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. claimed that the suspects used violence against their victims in the gambling schemes.

‘The defendants laundered their proceeds – including through cash exchanges, the use of multiple shell companies and through cryptocurrency transfers,’ he said.

‘As part of the scheme, some of the defendants and their co-conspirators also committed acts of violence, including the gunpoint robbery of a person in order to obtain a rigged shuffling machine and extortions that were perpetrated against victims in order to ensure they repaid their gambling debts.’

Who is Terry Rozier?

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, 30, was arrested in connection to an NBA gambling scheme.

Rozier, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, was a standout guard at Louisville who was the 16th pick by the Boston Celtics in 2015.

In 2018, Rozier became only the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start when he scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Boston’s 103-73 win over the Knicks.

Rozier was traded to Charlotte on July 6, 2019 and flourished with the Hornets. He set career highs by averaging 18 points in the 2019-20 season, 20.4 points the following season and 21.1 points in 2022-23.

On January 23, 2024, Rozier was traded to Miami for Kyle Lowry. Rozier averaged 10.6 points for Miami in the 2024-25 season while playing in 64 games, including 23 starts.

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game.

FanDuel spokesperson says gambling indictments are ‘deeply disturbing’

A spokesperson for FanDuel told the New York Times that Thursday’s illegal revelations were concerning for ‘fans, athletes, and everyone who loves sports and values integrity and fair play.’

The spokesperson continued that the sports betting site uses advanced technology to identify suspicious activity and report it to sports leagues and officials.

‘We are unwavering in our commitment to rooting out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and the games we love,’ they said.

Patel says indictment reveals NBA’s ‘insider trading’

FBI Director Kash Patel said he expects to take ‘heat’ for the NBA gambling probe because it reveals the leagues ‘insider trading’ problem

‘It’s not popular to go after some of the defendants that we went after today, but justice is served blindly,’ he said.

‘The unsealing of these indictments today shows the force of the Department of Justice and a great attorney general and the leadership that we have at the FBI and the team here to specifically mete out justice. This is the insider trading saga for the NBA. That’s what this is.’

REVEALED: Lavish life of Chauncey Billups and family

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups appears to lead a charmed life with his wife, Piper, and their three daughters.

NBA players union issues statement

The NBA Players Association issued a statement on the gambling indictment.

‘The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence, and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention,’ the group said in a statement to CNN.

‘We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process.’

One victim lost $1.8 million in single rigged poker game, police say

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said victims lost millions of dollars in rigger poker games.

‘Victims believe that they were sitting at a fair table. Instead, they were cheated out of millions,’ Tisch said.

‘One victim in a part in particular lost $1.8 million. In total, losses exceeded $7 million and continue to climb.’

LeBron James dragged into NBA betting scandal

Former Cleveland Cavalier Damon Jones, who worked with Lebron James in the 2022-23 season, was indicted in the NBA gambling scandal.

Prosecutors say Jones shared private information about James’ injury status with gamblers just days after he set the league’s all-time scoring record.

According to the FBI, Jones sold or tried to profit from non-public information about the basketball legend, before he was ruled out of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9, 2023.

He was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly was involved with the sports betting scheme, according to the indictment.

NBA places Rozier and Billups on leave

The National Basketball Association released a statement addressing the indictment of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

‘We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. 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.’

FBI official lists incorrect NBA team name in gambling probe

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. incorrectly named the Toronto Raptors as the ‘Toronto Rangers’ in Thursday’s gambling racket press conference.

‘The indictment details specific examples where the defendants profited from illegal gambling and illegal betting on various NBA games about the performance of players among other things.’

‘The Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trailblazers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Rangers – each defendant in the NBA basketball gambling case has been charged with the conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.’

Wild methods Mafia used in illegal NBA gambling racket seen in FBI indictment Suspects accused of rigging high-stakes NYC poker games

According to the indictment, some of the suspects are accused of rigging poker games at locations on Lexington Avenue and Washington Place in Manhattan.

Prosecutors say the games were run with ‘the express permission and approval of, members and associates of certain organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra, who provided support and protection for the games and collected owed debts from the games in exchange for a portion of the illegal gambling proceeds.’

Rozier allegedly staged injury at Hornets-Pelicans game

Terry Rozier’s arrest comes after sportsbooks in multiple states flagged suspicious betting activity on the player’s statistics ahead of the Charlotte Hornets-New Orleans Pelicans game on March 23, 2023.

The FBI alleges that Rozier told the defendants he was going to leave the game early, sparking a flurry of wages on the under for Rozier’s points, rebounds and assists.

Sportsbooks consequently halted betting on the veteran, but it is alleged that over $200,000 of wagers were placed, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in profits.

Rozier, who was suiting up for the Hornets at the time, would ultimately leave the game in less than 10 minutes of action due to what was described at the time as a ‘sore right foot.’

He had just five points, four rebounds, two assists, and a foul.
It is then alleged he counted the money with other defendants at his home.

Pictured: Rozier at said Hornets-Pelicans game on March 23, 2023

Who is Chauncey Billups?

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, 49, was arrested in a case linked to an illegal poker operation connected with the Mafia.

Billups played for Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.

He won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.

Now, he’s in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record.

Billups was a five-time All-Star with an NBA playing career that spanned 17 seasons, including a championship with Detroit in 2004. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year.

He has been married to his wife, Piper Billups, since 2001 and the couple has three daughters.

Pictured with his wife, Piper, and their three daughters

New York Rep. says indictment is ‘inevitable consequence’ of sports betting industry

Democrat Congressman Paul Tonko, who is a co-sponsor of federal legislation to create checks on the sports betting industry issued a statement on the NBA gambling scheme.

‘Scandals like this are an inevitable consequence of the unchecked explosion of the sports betting industry. That’s why we need to pass my SAFE Bet Act – to address public health, protect competitive integrity, and give sports back to the American people,’ he said.

‘It’s time for @NBA and other professional leagues to throw their weight behind minimum federal standards on sports gambling before this problem gets even further out of hand.’

Patel praises FBI investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel praised his investigators’ work busting the alleged illegal gambling scheme on X.

‘Today the FBI dismantled a multi-million dollar gambling ring tied to La Cosa Nostra, including current & former NBA players and coaches — as well as an inside scheme to rig sports betting outcomes for profit,’ he said.

‘Cheating, corruption, and laundering have consequences. We followed the money, and the law caught up.’

The same investigators prosecuted Jontay Porter

This case was brought by the same US attorney’s office that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter.

The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big with ‘prop bets’ – wagering that he would underperform expectations.

Porter was banned from the NBA for life and is scheduled for sentencing on December 10.

NBA cooperated with investigation

When asked by a reporter, US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. confirmed that the National Basketball Association had cooperated during the illegal gambling probe.

‘Yes, the NBA has cooperated with the investigation,’ he said.

He also noted that the investigation did not involve college basketball.

What is La Cosa Nostra and the Five Families?

La Cosa Nostra refers to the collection of Italian-American organized crime ‘families,’ also known as the Mafia or the mob.

While the mob no longer possesses the robust national presence and influence it once had, it is still considered a significant threat in the New York metropolitan area, New England, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, according to the FBI.

In New York City, five major Italian-American ‘families’ dominate organized crime.

The ‘families’ are: Bonnano, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese.

Rozier allegedly rigged bets with ‘supposed injury’

New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch explained how Terry Rozier allegedly participated in the gambling scheme.

‘One example occurred on March 23, 2023, in Charlotte. Terry Rozier, an NBA player now with the Miami Heat, but at the time playing for the (Charlotte) Hornets, allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury,’ she said.

‘Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers on his “under” statistics. Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes, and those bets paid out, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit.

‘The proceeds were later delivered to his home, where the group counted their cash. As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched, not for injury, but for integrity.’

Prosecutors describe intricate scheme used to trick victims

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. described how the suspects rigged high-stakes poker games with advanced technology.

‘For example, they used off-the-shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand, and relay that information to an off-site operator,’ he said.

‘The off-site operator sent the information via cellphone back to a co-conspirator at the table, and that person at the table was known as the quarterback.’

Nocella added, ‘The quarterback then signaled secretly the information he had received from others to others at the table, and together, they use that information in order to win their games and to cheat the victims.

‘Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera, special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table.’

Police called investigation ‘Operation Nothing But Bet’

New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch said their investigation into the scheme was called ‘Operation Nothing But Bet.’

Professional athletes used to lure victims, prosecutors say

Professional athletes were used as ‘face cards’ to lure victims, referred to as ‘fish,’ to play fixed poker games where everyone else was in on the scheme, prosecutors say.

‘The so-called face cards included the defendant Chauncey Billups, who at the time of the scheme was a former NBA player and is currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and also Damon Jones, a former NBA player,’ US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said.

‘Once the game was underway, the defendants fleeced the victims out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per game.’

Prosecutors tell gambling suspects, ‘Your luck has run out’

US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. had a harsh rebuke for the suspects charged in the gambling scheme.

‘My message to the defendants who have been rounded up today is this: your winning streak has ended,’ Nocella said.

‘Your luck has run out. Violating the law is a losing proposition, and you can bet on that.’

Gambling scheme involved ‘ tens of millions of dollars in fraud’

Kash Patel shared that the money involved in the gambling investigation is in the ‘tens of millions of dollars.’

‘We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation,’ he said.

‘We will not allow this kind of illicit activity to happen, not only at the national sporting level, but also where it hides in La Cosa Nostra.

‘And when these two collided together, they perpetrated a fraud that is historic in terms of not just money, but the scheme and the deceit that they utilize to steal and swindle people for money, to include crypto fraud.’

Mafia connected to gambling scheme, FBI Director says

FBI Director Kash Patel revealed that several infamous mob families have connections to the gambling probe.

‘Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Casta Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families,’ Patel said.

‘The charges and the arrests that were taken down across this country range from wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, illegal gambling – this FBI will leave no room for any perpetrator of crime across this country.’

31 people arrested in connection to gambling probe

John Marzulli, a spokesperson for the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, revealed that 31 people have been arrested as a result of the NBA gambling investigation.

‘I believe there’s about 31 people in custody, and others will be there will be some who will self surrender,’ Marzulli said.

Statement from Terry Rozier’s lawyer…

Jim Trusty, attorney for Terry Rozier, has told Pablo Torre: ‘We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication.

‘They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case.

‘They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. 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.’

Rozier to appear in court this afternoon

It has just been announced that Terry Rozier will appear in federal court in Orlando this afternoon.

Billups will appear in federal court in Portland, although the timings of that have not been disclosed.

Where has this come from?

The case has been brought by the U.S. attorney´s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter.

The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations.

What we know so far…

The NBA was left in chaos just two days into the new season when veteran player Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were arrested as part of a sweeping FBI probe into illegal gambling.

The pair, as well as former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones, were among the reported 31 arrests made in the FBI’s investigation early on Thursday morning.

For all the latest, click below.

NBA in crisis

Welcome to the Daily Mail’s coverage of what has been an explosive morning in the NBA.

The new season is barely two days old yet the league has been engulfed by a sports betting crisis on Thursday morning that has seen Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heart guard Terry Rozier arrested.

FBI Director Kash Patel and The Eastern District of New York are due to give a press conference at 10am ET. Stick with us for live updates.

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Chauncey Billups is dumped by Portland Trail Blazers as chilling mafia messages are revealed in NBA gambling scandal: Live updates