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Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones were arrested Thursday morning as part of FBI probes into alleged illegal gambling with ties to the La Cosa Nostra crime families.Â
Billups and Jones are alleged to have knowingly participated in rigged poker games, while Rozier and Jones allegedly leaked non-public information about NBA games in order for those close to them to place wagers with a competitive advantage.
Each person has, or had, prominent roles in the NBA, but now, their legacies are seemingly tarnished.
Here are deep dives into how Billups, Rozier, and Jones got to where they are today.
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Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones were arrested Thursday for their alleged roles in illegal gambling schemes.
Before getting back on the sidelines as a coach, Billups was a prominent player, most notably with the Detroit Pistons.
Billups, along with Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, coached by Larry Brown, won an NBA title in 2004, when Billups was named the Finals MVP.
Before that, Billups was the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 1997 after starring at Colorado. He was in Boston for roughly half a season before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets the following year and signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000.
Billups signed with Detroit ahead of the 2002-03 season and found his niche, becoming a defensive stalwart and being named to four of his five All-Star teams as a Piston. From 2011 through the end of his career, he made stops with the Nuggets again, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and then the Pistons a final time before calling it a career. From 2003 through 2011, he averaged 17.3 points and 6.2 assists per game.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups watches from the sideline during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on April 6, 2025. (Soobum Im/Imagn Images)
He was hired as an assistant coach for the Clippers in 2020, then became the Portland Trail Blazers head coach the following year. He agreed to a multiyear extension with the club in April.
Billups was allegedly dubbed one of the “face cards,” which the indictment stated were “members of the Cheating Teams and received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation in the scheme.” The scheme resulted in victims losing at least $7.15 million, dating back to April 2019, according to the Department of Justice.
Billups was “utilized to attract victims to the games because of their status as former professional athletes,” the DOJ said.
Billups was one of five defendants who “organized and participated in rigged poker games” in Las Vegas “using a rigged shuffling machine,” with victims losing at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another co-conspirator that Billups should purposefully lose a hand to avoid cheating suspicions.
During that game, a defendant said one of the victims had “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck” by Billups, according to officials.
In October 2020, Billups was allegedly wired $50,000 following a rigged poker game.
Billups’ career earnings exceeded $100 million as a player, while Jones made at least $20 million.
Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups (1) shoots a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons won 113-102. (Tim Fuller/USA Today Sports)
Billups is not listed in the sports betting scandal that led to the arrest of Terry Rozier. However, the DOJ mentioned a Trail Blazers–Chicago Bulls matchup on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier’s alleged wrongdoings, in which a co-conspirator, “an NBA coach at the time,” allegedly told a longtime friend, who is also a defendant in the rigged poker scheme, that the Blazers would be “tanking” that night for a better draft pick and would sit some of the team’s best players. The resting of the players had not yet been public information. The team’s top four scorers, including Damian Lillard, all did not play that night, as other co-conspirators allegedly wagered more than $100,000 total against Portland.
The “co-conspirator” in question is listed as a former NBA player whose career spanned from “approximately 1997 through 2014” and “an NBA coach since at least 2021.” Only Billups fits that criterion.
Rozier was the only active NBA player arrested Thursday, as he is accused of purposely exiting a 2023 game early, citing an injury so co-conspirators could allegedly place wagers on his “under” prop bets.
Before essentially becoming a tarnished player, Rozier starred at the University of Louisville for two seasons before becoming the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Rozier was drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he spent his first four seasons mostly coming off the bench. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets after the 2018-19 season, where he found his footing and became an everyday starter.
Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets brings the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on Jan. 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
As his minutes increased, he wound up averaging 18.0 points per game in his first season with Charlotte. The next season, he put up 20.4 points and notched a career-high 21.1 points in the 2022-23 season.
Due to his prowess, Rozier inked a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Hornets shortly before the 2021-22 season started. However, he was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick during the 2023-24 season.
It was initially reported in January that Rozier was being investigated for involvement in a game on March 23, 2023.
Rozier is alleged to have told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would take himself out of a game early, citing an injury so Laster could place wagers based on the information. Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)
Laster then allegedly sold that information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed wagers totaling roughly $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” prop bets to hit in both parlay and straight wagers. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted cash winnings at Rozier’s home in Charlotte roughly a week later, the indictment says.
Despite being undrafted out of Houston in 1997, Jones still managed to play 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams in his career. However, throughout his time, he was teammates with prominent stars, including LeBron James during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent a season with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.
He became a coach following his playing career, winning a title with James and the Cavs in 2016 as an assistant. Jones joined the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ current team, as an unofficial, unpaid member of the coaching staff for the 2022-23 season. Jones, though, is accused of wrongdoing during that season.
He is alleged to have told someone close to him that a “prominent” player on the Lakers would not play on Feb. 9, 2023, before the information was public.
“Get a big bet on [the] Milwaukee [Bucks] tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!!,” Jones allegedly texted a friend.Â
The DOJ says the player was eventually ruled out with a lower-body injury — James did not play that night due to an ankle injury that kept him out for two more games, and ESPN has reported that the player in question is in fact James. The game in question took place two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
LeBron James (23) talks with Cavaliers Head Coach Tyronn Lue (not pictured) and former teammate Damon Jones, center, during an off-day practice before the Golden State Warriors played the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, June 6, 2017. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
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Jones also allegedly gave apparent inside information about another “one of the Lakers’ best players” 11 months later regarding an injury that was likely to affect his performance, which ultimately backfired as the player “performed well” and the Lakers won.
Billups, Rozier, and Jones, the latter of whom is a defendant in both cases, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave from their teams, “and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.”
“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.
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