Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with a federal investigation into sports betting, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The exact charges they were facing were not immediately known. Two people spoke to The Associated Press about Rozier on condition of anonymity because details of the investigation cannot be discussed publicly. One of them also spoke to The Associated Press about Billups’ arrest.
The NBA had no immediate comment. One person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the league had previously investigated Rozier and is also currently looking into the actions of former Detroit player Malik Beasley.
Rozier was in uniform Wednesday night when the Heat played the Magic in Orlando, but did not play in the game. He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday. The team did not immediately comment on the arrest.
A message was left Thursday with Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty. Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier met with NBA and FBI officials in 2023 and was told that an initial investigation determined he had done nothing wrong, the sports network reported.
FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials are expected to provide further information at a news conference Thursday.
The case was brought by the same Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office that previously prosecuted former NBA player Jontay Porter. The former Toronto Raptors center has pleaded guilty to charges of withdrawing from games early, claiming illness or injury, in order to win large sums of money by betting on a performance that fell short of expectations by those with knowledge of the situation.
The game Rozier was involved in was a matchup between the Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans on March 23, 2023. Rozier only played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game, but not only did he not return that night, citing foot problems, but he also did not play again that season. It didn’t seem unusual for Rozier to be suspended for the final game of the season, as Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention.
In the March 23 game, Rozier had a productive quarter with five points, four rebounds, and two assists in the opening half, but his totals were well below his usual totals for a full game.
According to a post that remains online on March 23, 2023, the night it was revealed that Rozier would not return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, some bettors were furious at sportsbooks, and many turned to social media to claim that something “shady” had happened regarding prop bets involving his stats that night.
