In his first public comments since the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday night that he was stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league. "My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed," Silver said on Amazon Prime Video, per the AP. "There's nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting."
Such was a sentiment shared by many around the league on Friday, one day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen people—most notably, Billups and Rozier—were arrested by federal officials. Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as "Co-Conspirator 8" in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend and said the news was difficult to take. He said he spoke with Billups on Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard. "To go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters, it was a tough day," Lue said. "You never want to see your friends go through anything like that." Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers started in the NBA as a player more than 40 years ago. He's seen plenty of good and bad and thought he had heard it all—that is, until now. "It's really sad," Rivers said Friday.
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Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off bettors about the health status of two LA Lakers players. The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games was known publicly. There's no indication that James or Davis had any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing. More here.
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