ESPN Fumbles Early Coverage of Massive NBA Gambling Scandal

A huge NBA gambling story broke in the early hours of Thursday morning — the kind of sports-betting scandal that every major sports league fears.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier were among the 35 people arrested by the FBI in connection with a mob-run rigged poker scheme, as well allegations that gamblers were provided with insider information to help them wager on NBA games. In one alleged incident, Rozier told gamblers that he was going to leave a game early with an injury, which allowed his co-conspirators to place bets on Rozier’s performance that night. According to the indictment, gamblers won hundreds of thousands of dollars and split the winnings with Rozier.

FBI director Kash Patel said in a press conference, “Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra.”

The details of the case are serious and fascinating, and you can read more about them from Rick Maese and Jeremy Roebuck of The Washington Post: “Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Miami Heat player arrested in gambling probes.” (And here’s the story from The Associated Press.)

The New York Times wrote, “Taken together, the two indictments, involving more than 30 defendants, will compel the N.B.A. to confront questions about how far the misconduct may have spread inside its multibillion-dollar business, and whether those accused of financial crimes affected the outcomes of games.”