Maybe it was a premonition, maybe it was just coincidence, but Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups made a very interesting comment just hours before he was arrested Thursday morning.
In the wake of what was two great first nights of the NBA season, the league was rattled by a gambling scandal Thursday morning, with Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier being arrested in separate sports betting probes. Billups was arrested in Oregon and charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, according to ABC News.
The arrest came just hours after Billups coached the Blazers in their season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his postgame press conference, Billups was asked about the Blazers’ new ownership being in attendance and whether that served as added pressure.
“You know that pressure thing is nothing to me, man,” Billups said. “I do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may.”
Billups saying “let the chips fall” hours before he was arrested for alleged involvement in a mafia-linked operation to rig underground poker games is certainly ironic. It’s a frequently used phrase, but it can now be looked back on as a poorly timed gambling reference.
NBA players were allegedly featured in the rigged poker games that led to Billups’ arrest for credibility. According to U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., rigged shuffling machines, hidden cameras and even an X-ray table were allegedly used to read cards in the operation.
As a result of the arrests, the NBA issued a statement announcing Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave. Rozier, who was previously investigated for possibly manipulating his performance during a 2023 NBA game, was arrested Thursday morning at a hotel in Orlando, where the Heat lost their season opener to the Magic.
Rozier was on the bench for Miami Wednesday night, but did not play due to a coach’s decision. Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also arrested after allegedly trading inside information on a LeBron James injury in 2023.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com