In Gambling Bust, a Fishy NBA Injury Is a Highlight

One of the big names implicated in the FBI's sprawling gambling bust this week is Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Here is how one specific allegation played out in the brave new world of sports gambling, where bettors can wager on pretty much every aspect of a particular game:

• Before a game on March 23, 2023, Rozier (then with the Charlotte Hornets) allegedly told a co-conspirator that he would fake an injury and remove himself from the game in the first quarter, reports NBC Miami.
• Sure enough, after sinking a basket against the New Orleans Pelicans, cameras captured Rozier reaching for his right foot as he ran back on defense, reports the New York Post, which has images from the game. Rozier left the game for good minutes later.

• Thus, Rozier finished with only five points and four rebounds, well under his usual numbers. Prosecutors allege that those in on the scheme cashed in by placing more than $250,000 in what are known as prop bets. They essentially wagered that Rozier would underperform, and, voila, he did. Prosecutors say a friend of Rozier's collected tens of thousands of dollars from winners after the game and brought the money to the player's house.
• The case is part of a larger scandal involving multiple NBA teams and alleged ties to organized crime. Another facet involves rigged poker games.