ESPN, Tennis Channel and most of the sports channels have been taken over by sports-betting companies. Sports gambling has gone mainstream to the point where DraftKings pours money into advertising across sports channels, and they sponsor interview panels and coverage within sports commentary. Most pro sports have dealt with this level of influence by simply banning pro athletes from endorsing sports-betting sites and banning athletes and coaches from gambling entirely. Well, in a piece of extremely retro news, the Portland Trail Blazers’ coach has now been charged with gambling. But it wasn’t on a sports-betting app. Nope, Chauncey Billups was gambling at an illegal poker operation with Mafia ties. What is this, Vegas in the 1960s??
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, law enforcement sources told ABC News. Billups, in his fifth season as head coach, was arrested in Oregon, where is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, sources said. Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Billups was also a star player, mostly for the Detroit Pistons, before retiring in 2014. He was a five-time All-Star in his 17 years in the NBA and led the Pistons to the NBA title in 2004, being named Finals MVP.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were also charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case. They’re among six people charged Thursday with turning professional basketball into a criminal gambling operation by using inside information to place unlawful wagers, law enforcement sources told ABC News
FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to announce the charges along with other law enforcement officials during a news conference Thursday in New York City.
This has sent shockwaves through the NBA, but fans are calling out the hypocrisy, given that so many sports channels are now closely tied to gambling sponsors. Still, it’s quite another thing for a coach to seek out Mafia-operated poker games. Was this in Portland? Does the mob have a presence in Portland? Another thing going unsaid is… this is Kash Patel’s FBI. Does anyone think that these charges will hold up in court? Doubtful.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I don’t get it. Why not just put your money in Vanguard? 🤣 Really — Billups made nearly $5mil in salary just last year. WHY do you need to play poker with Mafia people? WHY? Like, do you not have enough drama in your life? I swear people throw their good fortune away with both hands sometimes. It’s weird.
Is playing cards with the Mafia supposed to be FUN? Seriously, WTF are you doing!?
My thought exactly! Either just likes to be risky or living beyond his means.. or the mafia has some kompromat on him. Why Chauncey, why!!
Why do I feel that this announcement today , came as the NBA season just started, is a bright shiny object to take the focus off other things that this admininstration is doing.
Is it wrong that I’m like.. how quaint! A mafia related gambling story! No rape, no genocide, no war crimes, no under-age rape of children, just a guy getting caught gambling illegally. This is barely a story in today’s environment.
I’m in the same boat with you.
Draft Kings sponsors a segment of “New Heights” (Jason Travis Kelce podcast). I HATE it.
I’ve got the impression neither of them are big gamblers. Travis likes playing roulette, but said he always sets a limit for what he can lose. I guess the sponsorship cash was too appealing to turn down.
Is this not illegal for Travis to benefit from a sports betting company while he’s still playing?
Poker – even with high stakes – isn’t the same as sports-betting, but I imagine if you got into debt with the Mafia, your inside knowledge could pay it off?
Kash Patel is a fool, but I wonder if this was old FBI case?
Interesting.
I thought he tipped off the FBI?
Honestly I’m genuinely excited about how this will all unfold…
Chauncey also allegedly passed on secret information about the Blazers so others could place bets. Specifically, when the team rested star players so they would tank games in hopes of getting a higher draft pick. He’s now in FBI and NBA trouble.