NBA’s Adam Silver ‘deeply disturbed’ by Billups, Rozier playing indictments

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public feedback for the reason that federal indictments of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier and former participant Damon Jones in a wide-ranging gambling-related scheme .

"My preliminary response was I used to be deeply disturbed," Silver stated in an interview in the course of the Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics sport Friday. "There’s nothing extra essential to the league and its followers than the integrity of the competitors. I had a pit in my abdomen. It was very upsetting.

"I apologize to our followers that we're all coping with this example."

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Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver held a press convention at Chase Middle on 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco, California, United States on February 15, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures)

Silver added the NBA investigated and located no motive to sanction Rozier when his case opened in March 2023 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and sports activities books alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s "prop bets."

"We frankly couldn’t discover something," Silver stated. "Terry on the time cooperated. He gave the league workplace his telephone. He sat down for an interview. And we in the end concluded that there was inadequate proof regardless of that aberrational conduct to maneuver ahead.

"He nonetheless hasn’t been convicted of something, in equity to Terry. Clearly, it doesn’t look good. However he’s now been placed on administrative go away. There’s a stability right here of defending folks’s rights and investigating."

Earlier Friday, Congress received concerned.

The Home Committee on Commerce Friday despatched a letter to Silver requesting data and a briefing to acquire data associated to the scandal.

The committee is searching for 5 key factors of data from Silver:

"1. Particulars concerning the fraudulent, unlawful, and alleged betting practices in reference to NBA gamers, coaches, and officers, together with the actions of NBA gamers and coaches recognized within the current indictment; in addition to prior cases, a few of that are recognized above," the letter states.

"2. Actions the NBA intends to take to restrict the disclosure of nonpublic data for unlawful functions. 3. Whether or not the NBA’s Code of Conduct for gamers and coaches successfully prohibits criminal activity, together with the disclosure of private data for the needs of unlawful betting schemes. 4. A proof of the gaps, if any, in current laws that enable unlawful betting schemes to happen. 5. Whether or not and the way the NBA is reevaluating the phrases of its partnerships with sports activities betting corporations."

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT'S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the Home Committee on Vitality and Commerce.

Rozier was arrested as a result of federal officers allege he conspired with associates to assist them win bets primarily based on his statistical efficiency. The fees are just like what former Toronto participant Jontay Porter confronted earlier than he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

Billups faces fees of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and cash laundering for taking part in what federal officers known as Mafia-backed rigged poker video games. He additionally matches the credentials of somebody described solely as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some folks gave bettors inside data on participant well being statuses.

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(Left) Portland Path Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to a referee throughout a timeout within the first half in opposition to the Sacramento Kings on the Moda Middle in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 10, 2025. (Proper) Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier (2) walks off the courtroom after the sport in opposition to the Detroit Pistons on the Little Caesars Enviornment in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 12, 2024. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Pictures;Rick Osentoski/Imagn Pictures)

The arrests have overshadowed the opening week across the league.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports activities author for Fox Information Digital. He beforehand labored for ESPN and Enterprise Insider. Jackson has coated the Tremendous Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.