Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he profited from rigged poker games involving several members of the mob and at least one other former NBA player.

Billups, a five-time All-Star who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors allege he was involved in a scheme to rig illegal mob-backed poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons. Others have been charged with running an illegal gambling business, robbery and extortion. Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations had begun with some of the defendants, but did not identify them.

U.S. District Court Judge Ramon Reyes said he hopes to bring the sprawling case to trial by next September, advising attorneys to “do what you have to do.”

Billups, dressed in a dark gray suit, spoke only to answer yes or no questions from the judge. His lawyer, Mark Mukasey, issued a statement. They declined to comment after the hearing. Last month, another of Billups' attorneys called him an “honest man” who denies the charges.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government accuses him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom. He wouldn't jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” Haywood said after Billups appeared in federal court in Portland, Oregon, when prosecutors first announced the indictment on Oct. 23.

Billups, 49, was released on $5 million bail secured by his family's home in Colorado. He must refrain from gambling and must not have contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He surrendered his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York, as well as Washington, D.C.

Inducted last year into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Billups may have been the most prominent among more than 30 people charged in last month's sweeping federal crackdown on illegal gambling related to professional sports.

Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also charged in the poker scheme, as well as another separate scheme that allowed gamblers to use inside information about players to win NBA bets that involved Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

The scheme used hidden cameras, prosecutors say.

In addition to Monday's arraignment, Billups and his co-defendants attended a status conference and are due back in court March 4.

Prosecutors say the poker cheating scheme used modified card shuffling machines, hidden cameras in chip trays, special sunglasses and X-ray equipment built into the card-reading table. They claim the operation defrauded victims of approximately $7 million, dating back to at least 2019.

Billups allegedly served as a celebrity “calling card” that could attract wealthy, unsuspecting players to the games. Prosecutors said that during one game, organizers wrote that the victim “acted as if he wanted Chauncey to get his money” because he “hit a star.”

Prosecutors allege Billups received some of the proceeds from illegal means. including a $50,000 bank transfer following a rigged game in October 2020.

The organizers also had to share their earnings with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno mafia families for their involvement in illegal poker games run by New York crime enterprises, prosecutors said. In response, Mafia members allegedly carried out attacks, extortion and robberies to collect debts and protect the operation.

During his NBA career, Billups earned approximately $106 million. After retiring in 2014, he began a career as a television analyst and then switched to coaching.

Billups was drafted third overall in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics after playing for the Colorado Buffaloes in college. He played 17 years in the NBA, working for the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

But he's perhaps best loved in the Motor City, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his ability to take clutch shots.

Billups was named NBA Finals MVP during the Pistons' 2004 title run and the team retired his No. 1 jersey.

After retiring in 2014, Billups began a career as a television analyst and then switched to coaching.

He was hired as Portland's coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers.

After his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave, and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Thiago Splitter as interim coach.