Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups’ arrest stunned fans Thursday after the Portland Trail Blazers head coach left an Oregon federal courthouse without answering questions. The former NBA star was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a widespread FBI gambling investigation.
Federal prosecutors allege Billups and more than 30 others—including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former assistant coach Damon Jones—rigged high-stakes poker games tied to La Cosa Nostra crime families. The Department of Justice said the “Cheating Teams” took in at least $7.15 million in losses from victims since 2019.
According to the DOJ, “Billups and Jones, in particular… were utilized to attract victims to the games because of their status as former professional athletes.” Billups allegedly participated in “rigged poker games” in Las Vegas using a “rigged shuffling machine,” with one game alone netting $50,000 in losses.
The NBA placed Billups on immediate leave, stating, “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.” The Trail Blazers announced assistant coach Tiago Splitter would assume interim head coaching duties.
Billups’ legal team pushed back forcefully. “Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” his attorney said. “He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career.”
