NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his first public comments since arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, said Friday night that he was stunned by the allegations that have rocked the league.
“My first reaction was that I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said on Amazon Prime Video during the streaming service's first broadcast of Boston in New York. “Nothing is more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very disappointing.”
That sentiment was shared by many around the league on Friday, a day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen people – most notably Billups and Rozier – were arrested by federal officials.
Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with co-conspirators to help them win bets based on his statistical results. The charges are similar to those former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before Silver suspended him from the league in 2024.
Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for his participation in what federal officials described as rigged, mob-backed poker games. The indictment, which details how some people provided players with inside information about players' health, also matches the credentials of a man identified only as “Conspirator 8.”
The arrests marred the league's first week.
“I apologize to our fans for the situation we all faced,” Silver said during an in-game interview.
Rozier's case has been pending since March 23, 2023. He was with the Charlotte Hornets at the time, and bookmakers – legal ones – warned NBA to the irregular patterns associated with Rozier's “bet” that day. Rozier played about nine and a half minutes, and those who bet on him to underperform won those bets. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those lines alone.
The NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier, Silver said.
“To be honest, we couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry was cooperative at the time. He gave the league office his number. He sat down for an interview. And ultimately we came to the conclusion that despite this anomalous behavior, there was not enough evidence to move forward.”
“In fairness to Terry, he still hasn't been convicted of anything. Obviously, it doesn't look good. But now he's been placed on administrative leave. There's a balance here between protecting people's rights and investigating.”
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend and says the news was hard to take. He said he spoke with Billups Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard.
“To go through something like that, the accusations, his family, my goddaughters, it was a tough day,” Liu said. “You never want your friends to go through something like that.”
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers began his NBA career as a player more than 40 years ago. He saw a lot of good and bad. He thought he heard it all. That is, until now.
“It’s really sad,” Rivers said Friday.
Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges after officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players. The details of this allegation clearly show that Jones discussed the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with players before their statuses for certain games were publicly known. There is no indication that James or Davis knew what Jones was allegedly doing.
“Now we see what these things can become and how they can spread, how valuable that information is,” Detroit coach J. Bickerstaff said. “Overall it's a difficult situation, but once you think about the gambling that we have now in the sports world, it creates very dangerous situations for everyone – from a safety perspective, from a safety perspective, from that sort of thing.”
The NBA requires all teams to inform players, coaches and staff annually about what is and is not allowed when it comes to gambling. The Orlando Magic recently met on this very topic.
And then, after Thursday's news, they met again.
“Yesterday was another reminder of what we need to do,” Magic coach Jamal Mosley said. “We had another conversation with the group. I think the more this happens, the more we'll have to continue to talk to the group about what's going on.”
The league has at least 14 relationships with sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings. Some teams also have their own proposals. Silver has often spoken about how legal betting can be monitored and how unusual patterns can be immediately identified, which is one reason the league believes the integrity of gaming can be protected.
But some coaches and players still believe more can be done.
“The league and the game and the business of the league have evolved. And so we just need to know how things are evolving in that business, right?” This was announced by San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson. “It's very important for us to continue to just be educated and be mindful of everything that goes into our business… I have faith in Adam Silver and the league that they will do what is necessary to continue to move the game in the right direction.”
Another challenge for players and coaches is how social media gives players the opportunity to interact with players in the league. Many note that such interaction is not always friendly.
“In my day, the outside world couldn't get to us. They literally couldn't get to us,” Rivers said Friday. “And now they can do it with ease.”
