NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described himself as “deeply disturbed” in the face of the betting scandal and arrests.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been hit hard by the scandal surrounding the high-profile arrests of head coach Chauncey Billups (Portland Trail Blazers) and professional player Terry Rozier (Miami Heat). “My initial reaction was one of deep disturbance,” said the 63-year-old during the television broadcast of the match between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks (95:105) on Prime Video .
“For the league and its fans, there is nothing more important than the integrity of the competition,” Silver elaborated. Billups and Rozier were arrested independently on Thursday, but both are temporarily released after posting bail. Billups and Rozier are accused of various cases of illegal gambling.
Rozier was already under suspicion in 2023. The guard, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets, had been substituted early in a game due to a foot injury. Alleged accomplices had placed high bets that Rozier would remain below expected statistical values.
“We investigated this situation at the time,” said Silver: “And although there were these abnormal bets, we couldn’t find anything. Terry cooperated back then. Ultimately, however, we concluded that despite this behavior, there was not enough evidence.”
The FBI found this evidence. Billups must appear before a federal court in New York on November 24. According to US Judge Robert Norway, Rozier had to post his house in Florida as bail and is scheduled to appear before a court in New York on December 8. Both Billups and Rozier had to leave their teams immediately.