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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made his first public comments following the federal indictments of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones in a sweeping gambling-related scheme.
“My initial reaction was I was very upset,” Silver said in an interview during the Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game on Friday. “There is 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.”
“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation.”
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Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver holds a press conference at Chase Center on the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco, California, United States on February 15, 2025. (Typhoon Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Silver said the NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier when his case opened in March 2023 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and sports books alerted the NBA about an irregular pattern involving Rozier’s “prop bets.”
“Obviously we didn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry cooperated at the time. He gave his phone to the league office. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence, despite that unusual behavior, to proceed further.
“In fairness to Terry, he still hasn’t been convicted on either count. Obviously, it doesn’t feel good. But now he’s been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating.”
Earlier on Friday, Congress also joined it.
The House Committee on Commerce sent a letter to Silver on Friday requesting information and a briefing on the scandal.
The committee is seeking information from Silver on five key points:
The letter states, “1. Details regarding fraudulent, illegal and alleged betting practices regarding NBA players, coaches and officials, including the actions of the NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment, as well as prior precedent, some of which have been identified above.”
“2. The NBA intends to take action to limit the disclosure of non-public information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for Players and Coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. Explanation of the gaps, if any, in the existing rules that would prevent illegal betting schemes. Allows to happen. 5. What’s more the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies.”
NBA legend Chauncey Billups, Heat’s Terry Rozier arrested as part of FBI gambling investigation
The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Rozier was arrested because federal authorities allege he conspired with associates to help him win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before being banned from the league by the Silver in 2024.
Billups is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal authorities say was a Mafia-backed rigged poker game. He also matched the credentials of someone described as Co-Conspirator 8 in the indictment, which described how some people gave inside information about the player’s health condition to bookmakers.
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(Left) Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to the referee during a timeout in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center on October 10, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. (Right) Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) walks off the court after a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on November 12 in Detroit, Michigan. 2024. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images; Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
The league’s opening week has been overshadowed by the arrests.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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