Silver says NBA is taking gambling scandal seriously

LAS VEGAS — It is critical for the NBA to be perceived as having integrity, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday, adding that the gambling scandals that led to the arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and others are being viewed with the utmost seriousness.

Silver's comments, made at a news conference shortly before the start of the NBA Cup final, were his first since arrests were made in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gambling mecca that the league has used for major events like the Cup final and Summer League for some time.

"I think the fans care a lot," Silver said. "It's hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are saying, or even what's on social media. Fans definitely care. And I mean it when I say, if this game isn't viewed as being honest, and the competition being on the level and at the highest integrity, over time, we will lose our fan base. I have no doubt about that. And so, I take it incredibly seriously."

The NBA is not sure how long the investigations and legal processes surrounding gambling charges faced by Rozier, Billups — a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee — and others will take to be completed, Silver said.

But the league will look into the possibility of giving Miami some sort of "satisfactory relief" because Rozier currently can't play, Silver added, though he stopped short of saying such a move would be possible.

"This is an unprecedented situation," Silver said.

It's a multi-layered issue for the league and the Heat, given that Rozier's $26.6 million salary takes up about 17 percent of the team's cap space — and that the team still owes Charlotte a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028 to satisfy the terms of the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It's unclear who was aware that Rozier was under federal investigation when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.

Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges stemming from accusations that he helped some friends win bets that revolved around his statistical performance in a game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is free on $3 million bond and isn't expected back in court until March, and he remains on unpaid leave from the Heat.

Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers that earned them tens of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season and was subsequently traded to the Heat.

Rozier isn't receiving his pay, but his salary is still on the Heat's books and is being sent to an interest-bearing account pending resolution of his case or some other agreement.

"We're going to try to work something through, work this out with them," Silver said. "But there's no obvious solution here. I would just say that there's no doubt at the moment they have a player that can't perform services for them. Obviously, he hasn't been convicted of anything yet, either — but this is an unfortunate circumstance. Sometimes there are these unique events and maybe sometimes they require a unique solution."

Billups also pleaded not guilty last month to charges related to a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker games. Rozier, Billups and former NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 people — including several Mafia figures — arrested in October as part of a sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to pro sports.

The league requires annual training for players, coaches and staff about what's allowed and what isn't allowed regarding gambling, which is now legal in most states. Silver famously championed legalization of sports betting in an op-ed he wrote for The New York Times in 2014.

The situations with Rozier and Billups have led to a quest for even heightened awareness, Silver said. The league is also looking at how best to ensure prop bets based solely on a player's statistical performance — like the ones made on Rozier's March 2023 game — can be executed fairly.

Agencies Via Xinhua