Federal authorities in Brooklyn Thursday unsealed two indictments charging over 30 individuals in schemes involving insider NBA betting and Mafia-linked rigged poker games. Key figures include Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups (charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy for participating in rigged poker games dating back to 2019), Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (accused of using non-public info, like faking injuries, to enable bets on games from 2023-2024), and former NBA player/coach Damon Jones (implicated in both schemes for leaking injury details on players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis).
The NBA placed Billups and Rozier on immediate leave, emphasizing game integrity as a priority. Prosecutors described it as "the insider trading saga for the NBA," with losses exceeding $7 million in the poker ring alone.
The scandal, erupting just two days into the 2025-26 season, has drawn swift backlash from radio and TV sports personalities. Key Reactions from Radio and TV Personalities:
✔Stephen A. Smith (ESPN's First Take): On his radio show and TV segment, Smith called the arrests a "nightmare for the league" and blasted the NBA's embrace of sports betting partnerships. "This is what happens when you sell your soul to the devil—gambling money looks good until it blows up in your face. Adam Silver needs to answer why this wasn't caught sooner." He urged lifetime bans for those involved, drawing parallels to past scandals like Tim Donaghy's referee betting ring.
✔Pat McAfee (The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN Radio/WWE Network): During his live radio broadcast, McAfee reacted with disbelief, yelling, "Holy s***, Chauncey Billups? The Finals MVP? This is like finding out your grandma's running a bookie operation!" He criticized the league's "hypocritical" ties to DraftKings and FanDuel, saying, "You can't preach integrity while cashing billion-dollar checks from the same industry that's now indicting your stars." McAfee polled his audience, with many echoing concerns about prop bets being "rigged from the inside."
✔Emmanuel Acho (FOX Sports 1's The Herd and FOX NFL Sunday): On FS1, Acho framed it as a "betrayal of the blue-collar fan," stating, "These guys are supposed to be heroes on the court, not tipping off mobsters for a quick buck. It's devastating—kids look up to Rozier and Billups." He called for congressional hearings on sports betting's impact, similar to those post-2018 PASPA repeal.
✔Charles Barkley (TNT's Inside the NBA): During a heated post-game segment on TNT, Barkley clashed with co-host Kenny Smith, snapping, "This ain't just bad—it's embarrassing! The NBA's out here acting like Vegas is their backyard, and now look: coaches tanking for bets? Ban 'em all!" Smith countered that it's isolated, but Barkley retorted, "Isolated? Mafia ties? Wake up, Kenny—this is the tip of the iceberg." Barkley later tweeted support for affected teams like the Blazers.
✔Zach Lowe (ESPN Radio/TV analyst): On ESPN Radio's The Lowe Post, Lowe dissected the indictments, noting, "The Blazers resting stars for a tank? That's not coaching; that's criminal. This exposes how fragile injury reports are in the betting era." He predicted NBA fines for lax protocols and more transparent rest announcements.
✔Nick Friedell (The Athletic/ESPN Radio contributor): Covering Warriors practices for ESPN Radio, Friedell quoted coach Steve Kerr: "We've hammered this in meetings—if you whisper an injury to a buddy, you're done. The league's briefed us yearly, but this hits different." Friedell added, "It's a wake-up: Gambling's everywhere, but integrity isn't optional."
✔Brian Geltz (92.3 The Fan, Audacy NBA host): On air at 92.3 The Fan, Geltz lamented the timing: "Dropping this bomb right as the season tips? It's a shame—fans deserve drama on the court, not in courtrooms." He speculated more names could emerge, urging the NBA to "clean house fast."
Devin "YourManDevine" Walker (Yahoo Sports Radio/Video): In a Yahoo Sports Daily segment, Walker said, "Something stinks—fans are right to question every close game now. How deep does this go?" He worried about "compromised integrity" eroding viewership.
✔Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers coach, via post-game radio interviews): Speaking to local radio after a win, Carlisle called it "shocking" and "very serious," adding, "We've got to protect the game— this hurts everyone."