The NBA was shaken on Thursday, October 23, after Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among 31 people charged in two major federal sports gambling cases.
Both men made court appearances before leaving without answering questions, but Billups’ attorney quickly pushed back on the allegations.
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” attorney Chris Heywood said in a statement to ESPN.
He argued that Billups “would not jeopardize” his Hall of Fame career, his reputation, or his freedom. Heywood also stressed that Billups has “never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League,” adding that he intends to fight the charges “with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career.”
Rozier did not issue a statement but was spotted leaving a Florida courthouse in a black sweatshirt and shorts. Former Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also named in the indictments, which stem from a years-long FBI probe with ties to organized crime.
While the legal fallout plays out, Shaquille O’Neal’s reaction on Inside the NBA captured how serious the situation is being viewed inside the league.
Speaking in a measured but firm tone, O’Neal admitted he knew the men involved and acknowledged that he too had “homeboy gambled” at times. But he stressed that the NBA has always been clear with its players about the risks.
“We all know the letter of the law when it comes to gambling and sports gambling,” O’Neal said. “All these guys knew what was at stake and I’m just ashamed that they put themselves and their family and the NBA in this position.”
He went further, underscoring the seriousness of a federal case: “Innocent until proven guilty, but usually when the FBI has something, they have you. They’ll wait two, three, four, five years, but when they come knocking on your door, they have something.”
Ultimately, O’Neal said the scandal disappointed him personally. “I’m ashamed that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy,” he said.
The NBA has placed both Billups and Rozier on immediate leave while the league monitors the federal case.