By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
BOSTON – Credibility. It’s such a powerful word yet it comes with such a fragile state of being. One’s credibility can be built-up over a lifetime but lost in a minute or two. Even if you’re not involved with a situation whatsoever, if you don’t voice a strong opinion on that newsworthy issue, you can lose credibility just by not saying a single word.
It is with that in mind, I think I’m almost obligated to write today on the NBA’s season opening (alleged) gambling bombshell that exploded on the third day of the 2025-26 season, not even 12 hours after 7-5 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama put up 40 points and 15 rebounds in a 125-92 Spurs’ thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks on October 22.
Yet, the morning of October 23, the word began to circulate in NBA and mainstream news circles that “NBA Players” were involved in a gambling scandal. Social media carried the ball, a palm, spin and travel that would’ve made Earl “The Pearl” Monroe quite proud. Word circulated quickly that Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was involved and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested the morning after a DNP-coaches decision in Orlando where the Magic slipped past the Heat, 125-121 in their exciting season opener.
Two hours of online mayhem led to a 10:00am (ET) news conference by the Feds of the Eastern District of New York – complete with beady-eyed FBI Director Kash (Don’t call me Cash) Patel in the center of the dog-and-pony show laying out indictments which included accusations against Billups, Rozier and retired NBA guard Damon Jones. The Rozier and Jones indictment is HERE.
Interestingly, the inclusion of Jones, once a member and teammate of Cleveland Cavaliers (now LA Lakers) superstar LeBron James, allowed media speculators to drag NBA royalty into the mix at no extra charge.
In regard to Billups, the charges were related to a conspiracy to rig illegal poker games. The games took place in New York City, East Hampton, Long Island, and throughout the United States and a total of 31 defendants were arrested in 11 States, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families. The charges were filed by the US Justice Department at the Brooklyn headquarters of the Eastern District of New York which also has offices in Central Islip, Long Island.
The multiple card games at the alleged locations caused losses to the many victims of at least $7,150,000. It is alleged that Billups’ role was to act as a “Face Card,” or in other words, as a lure to attract unsuspecting victims and to add a sense of professionalism to the atmosphere at the gambling games of chance.
In terms of charges in the card game portion of the bombshell indictments, crimes of fraud, money laundering and extortion have been tacked on to the basic illegal gambling and wire fraud counts.
Now, for some perspective:
No. 1 – I do not know anything about this case other than from watching the press Eastern District of New York press conference and reading the court documents.
No. 2 – It is important in these situations to know that speculation is wrong and there are very few people who know what is at the root of these cases. For that reason, the feds choose not to comment regarding the on-going investigation and league and team legal and security teams must keep their mouths shut, yet cooperate with the investigators.
Remember one of the most important lessons from reading this weekly missive: “Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.”
No. 3 – Social media (and to a great extent, the mainstream media) in an effort to fill the airwaves with opinions, innuendo, erroneous assumptions and, generally, useless information that fans/readers/listeners/viewers consume, often break the golden rule of justice in these United States. That is the fact the accused person is assumed innocent until proven guilty through a court of law, usually by a jury of their peers.
Now, a few things that I learned over years of experience in the sports world:
No. 1 – When the indictments are unsealed, they look awfully convincing and the accused seem so guilty of the charges written on the papers. However, prosecutors must prove the case in court, and we all (anyone who has ever served on Jury Duty) know that there is often some “reasonable doubt” left open by the prosecutors and pointed out by the attorneys of the accused.
No. 2 – In cases involving organized crime, the feds (and sometimes local or state police) will use people accused of lesser crimes to turn and testify against those facing more serious charges – prosecuting the “big fish” by using the “little fish.”
Overall, it is very important not to jump to conclusions.
This week, more than once, I read online – in stories by legitimate reporters and in posts by total dimwit fans – the question of “how could a player who has made millions do such a thing?”
Let’s slice that up?
No. 1 – A statement such as that is already assuming the player is guilty. The assumption is being made without a single ounce of evidence put forth by the prosecution.
No. 2 – In many cases involving organized crime, a player/celebrity – or really anyone – can be used by the “bad guys” just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or – sadly – because a longtime friend or relative (no matter how close) has dug themselves into a hole on the wrong side of the law.
In many cases, the threat of harm or public exposure to the athlete, his immediate family, his friends or a threat to hurt his career can become powerful tools used by organized crime to sink their hooks into a player/celebrity. Often, the “ask” of said player/celeb is something very simple and seemingly legal. As in, “All you have to do is come over to the house at 9:00pm and socialize with our guys, have a drink, relax, watch tv, watch the game and hang out for an hour or two.”
Or else.
The “or else” can be underlined with pictures of the player/celeb’s kids at school or the local playground, maybe a photo or short motion picture on an iPhone of a wife, daughter, girlfriend or – they’ve gone as far as – a mother shopping at the local grocery store to prove, “they know where you, your friends and family live.”
The verbal threat of violence – often never even considered to be carried out by the mobsters – is enough to draw the player/celebrity into the scheme.
So, the “how could a player making tens of millions do such a thing” is understood a little more if the full story is told in the court of law. As it should be and, hopefully, will be if the charges stand.
Remember? Sometimes, a case can not be made and – even though an indictment from a Grand Jury has come down – prosecutors can not “make the case” and must dismiss the charges.
THE SKY IS FALLING: From a distant memory, maybe call it a totally un-related comparison, I can remember back to 1987 when a fax machine in the NBA office was spewing out a multi-page Maricopa County indictments of 13 people, including Phoenix Suns players, former players and even the team photographer for the club.
As I read the indictments – which seemed so convincing, and were the very first time I was going to be “in the room where it happened,” – I thought that a number of people would be going to jail. I ran the pages of the indictment down to the Commissioner’s office as they came in, maybe two or three pages at a time, so they could be reviewed. When they were all complete, I awaited instructions for what would come next – a statement, Legal instructions on our official comment when answering media calls, maybe arranging a media conference call or drafting an NBA statement.
When it all played out, months later, here’s a synopsis of what resulted:
Player testimony: Suns player Walter Davis, who was cooperating with authorities after entering a rehabilitation program, provided grand jury testimony that led to the indictments. He was not charged but was suspended by the team after suffering a relapse. Suns rookie center William Bedford was also granted immunity in exchange for his testimony.
Dismissed charges: The case against most players ultimately fell apart due to lack of evidence, and no one went to trial. Suns veterans James Edwards and Jay Humphries entered a deferred prosecution program, and charges against them were later dismissed.
Probation: Suns reserve Grant Gondrezick and two other individuals pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received probation.
The enormity of the charges as they came across the fax machine seemed insurmountable. The reality? It was a very thin case and little, if any, evidence was produced. The charges were dropped.
At that time, four players had been dismissed from the NBA because of violation of the NBA/NBA Players Association anti-drug program. The situation with the Suns resulted in the NBA initiating a Player Programs Department – the first ever in professional sports – and Celtics legend, Tom “Satch” Sanders was hired to head-up the department and staff-up to be able to properly serve the NBA and its players.
Arguably – not – it was one of the most important decisions the late David Stern ever made and the hiring of Sanders was – possibly – the most impactful in league history.
What to Expect? – The season will not be pretty for the Portland Trail Blazers. The league placed Billups and Rozier (both active in the league) on mandatory suspension and the Blazers asked assistant coach Tiago Splitter to step up as interim coach. The Heat will “hear it” from the opposing fans as they travel through the 82 game schedule for 2025-26.
It will take time for legal proceedings to move forward, in part because of a busy schedule in NY’s Eastern District. The accused are promised a fair and speedy trial with full legal representation to defend the charges. The feds will have to build and present their case. No timetable has been made public.
In Closing: I have to advise to all readers to follow the case closely but to make no judgements. After writing this column, I plan to keep my mouth shut because I have no information and do not plan to seek out information.
It would be wise for others – not in the know – to do the same.
HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On the heels of a gambling scandal in the pro ranks, the NCAA approved a rule change on Wednesday that will allow its athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports. Two weeks after a Division I cabinet approved the change, Division II and III management councils signed off on it, allowing the new rule to go into effect Nov. 1. The ruling doesn’t change the NCAA rule forbidding its athletes from betting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information about college competitions with known gamblers. The NCAA also doesn’t accept advertising or sponsorships of NCAA championships by betting or fantasy sports gambling sites. Go figure?
The South Bay Lakers selected 2025 NBA champion Dillon Jones (6-5, 235, Weber State) with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA G League Draft. The Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith (6-9, 224, NBA G League Ignite) with the second overall pick, while the Greensboro Swarm selected Ace Baldwin (6-1, 190, Penn State) third overall pick. Jones, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, appeared in 54 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. The Weber State product also averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in four games for the Washington Wizards at NBA Summer League.
Michael Baiamonte, the Miami Heat’s in-arena public address announcer and the second longest tenured PA man in the NBA, will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Baiamonte has announced more than 1,500 professional basketball games including six NBA Finals.
Lawrence Tanter of the LA Lakers is the longest tenured public address announcer in the NBA, working for the Lakers since 1982-83.
TIDBITS & NUGGETS: As it relates to future prosecution in the feds’ gambling cases against some 31 defendants, the National Security Law firm notes, “Federal prosecutors are always looking to build cases that allow them to climb the criminal enterprise ladder. They may cast a wide net, targeting individuals with the hope of flipping them to build a case against higher-level offenders. Defense attorneys can turn this dynamic in their clients’ favor.” … In EPL action, Liverpool matched their worst EVER run at Brentford when they lost, 3-2, to the home but 10th place club on Saturday. It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive league loss.
Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion, had a disastrous start to his title defense on Saturday, as his bout ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. Aspinall (15-3) was unable to continue after title challenger Ciryl Gane (13-2) accidentally poked his right eye during an exchange at 4:35 of the opening round. Aspinall was provided five minutes to recover, but referee Jason Herzog stopped the show once the champ said he couldn’t see. Aspinall was immediately transported to the hospital post-fight.
While the sports industry, media and fans all poo-poo the NBA for its start-of-season gambling scandal, the vast number of media outlets leads their NFL coverage with “Best Bets,” “Sleeper Picks,” “Fantasy Football Props,” and other teases for sports gambling on Sunday’s NFL schedule. … Jimmy the Greek would be proud.
El Clásico – be there. It’s on TV (ESPN2 or ESPN+) Sunday at 11:15am.
THIS JEST IN: North Carolina still hasn’t won a game against an NCAA Power Four Football opponent under Hall of Fame pro coach Bill Belichick, but Saturday’s 17-16 overtime loss to ACC rival and No. 16, Virginia, showed some improvement. The Tar Heels dominated Virginia at the line of scrimmage, racking up six sacks and largely stopping Virginia’s ground game, but UNC a failed 2-point conversion in overtime which proved to be the difference. Belichick was going for the victory in the final play.
YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: There’s no TACOS in Texas! According to the Associated Press, Texas Tech is banning the throwing of tortillas by fans on kickoffs after the 14th-ranked Tech Red Raiders were penalized twice and fined for objects being thrown onto the field in their most recent home game. TT Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the fans entering the stadium would be instructed to discard tortillas, and there would be reminders before kickoff for anyone who took tortillas in to give them to stadium workers in order for them to be thrown away. Anyone caught throwing tortillas would have their ticket privileges revoked from the rest of the academic year across all sports, Hocutt said. The announcement came a little more than a week after the Red Raiders were given two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after kickoffs in a 42-17 win over Kansas.