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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public comments since federal charges against Portland coach Chauncey Billups, Miami guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones gambling scheme.
“My first reaction was that I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said in an interview during the Amazon Prime Video broadcast. New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics game on Friday. “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.”
“I apologize to our fans for the situation we all faced.”
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver holds a press conference at Chase Center during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game weekend in San Francisco, California, USA on February 15, 2025. (Typhoon Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Silver added that the NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier when his case was opened in March 2023 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and sportsbooks warned the NBA about irregular patterns associated with “back bets” on Rozier.
“To be honest, we couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry was cooperating at the time. He gave the league office his phone number. He sat down for an interview. “We ultimately concluded 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 this doesn't look good. But now he has been placed on administrative leave. There is a balance here between protecting people's rights and investigating.”
Earlier on Friday, Congress intervened.
The House Commerce Committee sent a letter to Silver on Friday asking for information and a briefing for information related to the scandal.
The committee wants five key pieces of information from Silver:
“1. “Details of fraudulent, illegal and alleged betting practices against NBA players, coaches and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches alleged in the recent indictment, as well as previous cases, some of which are listed above,” the letter states.
“2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of proprietary information for unlawful purposes. 3. Whether the NBA's Code of Conduct for Players and Coaches effectively prohibits illegal activities, including the disclosure of proprietary information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. is reconsidering the terms of its partnership with betting companies.”
NBA LEGEND CHAUNCAY BILLUPS AND TERRY ROSIER ARRESTED AS FROM FBI GAMBLING INVESTIGATION
The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
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.”
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(Left) Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to the referee during a timeout in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on October 10, 2025. (Right) Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) walks off the court after a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, November 2025. 12, 2024. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images; Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
Arrests marred the first week of the league.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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