FBI raids led to the arrests of more than 30 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones on a Thursday that rocked the NBA world. The charges stem from an alleged multi-state sports betting and illegal poker scheme involving inside information on NBA games and ties to organized crime.
Rozier and Billups were immediately placed on leave by their respective teams, the league announced, as investigations continue. The federal probe, dubbed “Operation Nothing But Bet,” alleges Rozier shared insider details about player injuries and game situations, enabling high-stakes wagers, while Billups and Jones are accused of participating in rigged poker games linked to organized crime.
The arrests sent shockwaves across the NBA, prompting coaches and players to weigh in on both the personal toll for those directly involved and the broader pressures athletes and staff face in an era where betting and social media intersect at every level.
“I think the biggest thing is that our players face a lot of wrath (from) fans,” Kerr said. “I’ve talked to our guys; our guys get nasty social media posts from people who have bet on games. That’s the thing that I don’t like about this the most. Our players should not have to deal with that, but they do. They probably would anyway, even if we didn’t have a partnership with these companies.
“So it’s just kind of the modern life: social media, everyone having access to everyone else. It’s rough. I mean, I feel bad for our guys. I’ve gotten some emails in the past from people I don’t know, saying, ‘Hey, thanks a lot. I had money on the game tonight, and you screwed up by subbing so and so in,’ or something like that. I’ve gotten those, too. It’s weird. It’s really weird.”
Kerr also emphasized the league’s proactive approach in educating players, noting that team legal counsel spoke with staff and players earlier this week before the start of the 2025-26 season.
“Every team in the league does this,” Kerr said. “Goes through bulletin points of everything that is not allowed in this issue. So our players are well aware, all players are well aware, of what they’re allowed to do, what they’re not allowed to do.
“… I feel very comfortable sharing details of these meetings. Because the league is very adamant about this stuff. Every team has to listen closely and hear everything, and a big part of that meeting was, ‘You tell one of your friends that so and so is not playing, and then that person tells somebody else, you are liable.’ We know this, and the league has kept us informed and up to date on all this stuff year after year, and so it is what it is.”
Following the Warriors’ 137-131 overtime win against the Nuggets Thursday night, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green addressed the broader implications of the FBI arrests and the role of sports betting in the modern NBA.
“I think on the whole, everybody’s very mindful of what to do, what not to do and understanding the landscape of sports right now in general,” Curry said. “And that’s not just a NBA thing, this is new territory for everybody. So I think, on the whole, we all are very responsible. The integrity of the game is fine, and then obviously we let the situation play out, whatever happens. But I wouldn’t worry about that too much.”
Green, meanwhile, spoke candidly about his initial shock and offered perspective on the broader betting landscape and league partnerships:
“My reaction to the news, I was shocked,” Green said. “I woke up to that news and I overslept for the shoot around, so when I woke up, I couldn’t really check in on it because I was trying to get here. You know, I got here and they are like, ‘Man, you see everything that has happened?’ I am like, not quiet, I only knew about Terry.
“But the business is the business. I am not going to sit here and condemn the league for partnering with gambling, sports betting companies like the businesses is the business. And you know it is what it is, I wish everybody well. It is a tough moment for the individuals involved, it is a tough moment for the league, but I am not going to sit here and be like, ‘Man, y’all partnered with a gambling company, you opened a can of worms.’ Like that can of worms can be opened with partnering with gambling companies or not.
“Partnering with gambling companies ain’t making gambling more accessible to us. The accessibility is what it is. If you are an American or if you live in America and you live in states where gambling, sports betting is legal, it pops right on your phone, whether the league is partnering with the company or not ain’t changing nothing.”
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also serves as the National Basketball Coaches Association president.
“It’s a shocking day,” Carlisle said. “I reached out today to Chauncey to see how he was doing. He did not answer, but the coaches association, we support all of our coaches. So I reached out to him and his representatives, and I’ll just leave it at that.”
Regarding the broader implications for teams and staff, Carlisle noted the growing complexity of the modern NBA.
“This is a very serious situation,” Carlisle said. “The irony, I guess, of it from my perspective is, yesterday was a day when our general council came down and read us all the regulations on gambling and warned our coaching staff, our players, our support staff about all these different things. In terms of the details of the allegations, I don’t know any of that. But, it’s a different world than it was a few years ago with the advent of legalized gambling. I guess there’s another aspect that is unrelated to basketball, so I will not comment on that. A shocking day, and we’ll see what happens as all the facts are collected.”
David Adelman, Denver Nuggets coach
David Adelman addressed the personal and professional dimensions of the arrests, particularly given that Rodney Billups, Chauncey Billups’ brother, is an assistant coach on the Denver Nuggets staff and was with the team Thursday for its season opener against the Warriors.
“Whatever Rodney needs for his family is all I care about,” Adelman said, via The Denver Post. “The situation itself, I only know what I’ve read. You guys know what I know. When your family member is affected by something, you have to support that person. Rodney has been nothing but great for us since he’s been here.”
He also stressed the importance of ongoing education and awareness around sports betting for players and staff.
“It’s new, so it’s like anything else. When the world changes, there’s gonna be hiccups. People get themselves in tough situations. I think all you can do is just keep pounding the rock and just (emphasize), ‘Hey, you’ve gotta be careful and understand what this is.’ (Betting) is such a part of our culture now and community, it’s not going anywhere. … You have to bring it up maybe more. Have more meetings about it. Mention it more throughout the year. Because you care about your players and you care about your staff, and you just don’t want to see them get in a tough situation.”
