"I was deeply disturbed," Silver admitted during Amazon Prime's broadcast, revealing he had a "pit in his stomach" about allegations that have rocked professional sports to its core. However, here's the bombshell that should alarm everyone—the NBA investigated Terry Rozier in 2023 and found "insufficient evidence" despite admitting to "aberrational betting" behavior. Translation: They knew something was wrong, but let him keep playing anyway.
The federal indictments announced Thursday exposed what FBI Director Kash Patel called the "insider trading" of professional basketball—a sprawling criminal conspiracy that reads like a Hollywood thriller but represents an existential threat to the sport's legitimacy.
The Mafia-Backed Poker Ring That Fleeced Victims of $7 Million
Federal prosecutors unveiled "Operation Royal Flush," a breathtaking takedown of 34 defendants that connects four of New York's five major crime families to an elaborate poker rigging scheme that would make Ocean's Eleven look amateurish.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups—a Basketball Hall of Famer and former NBA champion—stands accused of being a "Face Card" in illegal poker games from Manhattan to Miami, Las Vegas to the Hamptons. His role? To use his celebrity status to lure wealthy, unsuspecting victims to tables rigged with X-ray technology, hidden cameras, and modified shuffling machines.
The technology behind the scam is terrifyingly sophisticated. Tables were equipped with cameras that could read cards through the felt. Shuffling machines—devices meant to ensure fair play—were altered to transmit information about who held the best hand to off-site operators via earpieces. Some cards had barcodes visible only through special contact lenses.
"What the victims—the fish—didn't know is that everybody else at the poker game, from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. revealed.
Former NBA player Damon Jones was also named as a "Face Card," allegedly receiving payments—including a $2,500 advance—just to show up and legitimize the rigged games. One victim was described as "starstruck" by Billups, eagerly handing over money to play alongside the basketball legend—exactly the reaction organizers were banking on.
The violence escalated when victims couldn't pay. Defendant Zhen Hu allegedly texted one victim who owed gambling debts: "Watch what's good now. You've been running your mouth unchecked." He then punched the victim in the face and later returned with "a bunch of goons" to ensure payment.
The poker operation generated over $7 million in stolen funds over a six-year period, with members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families all taking their share. "Bringing four of the five families together in a single indictment is extraordinarily rare," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch emphasized.
Rozier's Alleged "Fake Injury" Scheme: The Ultimate Betrayal
But if the poker ring represents organized crime infiltrating basketball culture, the allegations against Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier strike at the very heart of competition itself.
On March 23, 2023, Rozier allegedly executed a plan that should enrage every fan who ever bought a ticket or placed a legitimate bet. Playing for the Charlotte Hornets in New Orleans, he tipped off childhood friend Deniro Laster that he planned to leave the game early with a fake injury. Rozier exited after just nine minutes, citing "foot discomfort".
The result? Laster and co-conspirators allegedly placed $200,000 in fraudulent wagers, betting that Rozier would underperform his statistics. It was textbook insider trading applied to basketball—exploiting nonpublic information to guarantee profits while defrauding sportsbooks and deceiving fans.
Federal prosecutors allege Rozier and five others participated in a scheme from December 2022 to March 2024, passing confidential information about player lineups, injuries, and game plans to a network of sports bettors. The gamblers then placed bets with online sportsbooks, which were themselves victims of the fraud, according to prosecutors.
Silver's Credibility Crisis: Why Didn't the NBA Stop This?
Here's where Silver's Friday night interview becomes even more troubling. He confirmed the NBA investigated Rozier in 2023 after licensed sportsbooks flagged "unusual betting behavior" around that March game. Rozier "cooperated," handed over his phone, and sat for an interview.
The league's conclusion? "While there was that aberrational betting, we frankly couldn't find anything," Silver admitted.
But the FBI found something. Nearly two years later, federal investigators, armed with subpoena power, uncovered substantial evidence to indict Rozier on conspiracy charges for wire fraud and money laundering.
"The federal government has subpoena power, it can threaten to put people in jail, it can do all kinds of things that a league office can't do," Silver explained, seemingly trying to justify the NBA's failure. Critics aren't buying it. Some are calling for his resignation.
Social media exploded with condemnation. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom posted: "ADAM SILVER RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. You can't profit from gambling and then suddenly act like a victim when it backfires". Influential accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers echoed demands for accountability, with one declaring Silver "the WOKE JOKE of the NBA".
The timing couldn't be worse for the league. These indictments dropped during the opening week of the season, coinciding with the launch of new broadcast deals worth $76 billion over 11 years. The NBA has aggressively embraced sports betting partnerships—it has a contract with FanDuel—while simultaneously claiming to be a victim when gambling corruption threatens its product.
The Tim Donaghy Comparison: Is This Worse?
The allegations evoke memories of the 2007 scandal involving referee Tim Donaghy, who admitted betting on games he officiated. But this may be worse. Donaghy was one rogue official. This involves a current All-Star guard, a Hall of Fame head coach, a former player-turned-coach, organized crime families, and a conspiracy spanning multiple states.
As one court document revealed, members of the conspiracy texted in real time about their schemes, sometimes coordinating deliberate losses to keep victims playing longer or avoid suspicion. This wasn't spontaneous. It was calculated, systematic fraud.
What Happens Next?
Both Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave by their teams. Rozier's attorney, Jim Trusty, insists prosecutors are relying on "spectacularly incredible sources rather than actual evidence" and that "Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight".
Billups' lawyer, Christopher Heywood, characterized the Hall of Famer as "a man of integrity" who wouldn't "risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom... for a card game".
The FBI investigation continues, with officials suggesting more layers remain to be uncovered. The league faces a credibility crisis as questions mount about what else it missed—or chose to ignore.
Silver promised continued cooperation with law enforcement, but his admission that the NBA cleared Rozier despite detecting suspicious betting patterns raises an uncomfortable question: Is the league capable of policing itself in an era where it profits billions from the same gambling industry now threatening its integrity?
The answer may determine whether basketball can recover from its most shocking scandal in generations—or whether this is just the beginning of a much darker story.