Blazers coach Chauncey Billups arrested by FBI for illegal gambling

[Castle Black]

This is wild. Like a plot from Oceans 11 or something.

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[LockoutSeason]

Stephen A auditioning for a cabinet position.

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[zshawn10]

blazers will fire him and to think they checked into his sexual allegations when he was about to get hired as a coach. He got hired over Becky Hammon

On the other side, he went into the HOF last year and for him he cannot testify against the mafia

[HMFFL]

Curious what Portland does for a coach now. I assume they'll be able to fire him with cause and not pay him. Then probably promote an assistant as interim for the year. The new owner will take over the team officially by the end of the season, so he will probably want to choose the next coach.

If they fire Billups, I think they need to promote Nate Bjorkgren, and Tiago Splitter as the assistant coach.

Yep, pretty much what everyone in town suspects to happen.

I'd actually love to see that swapped. Keep Nate in assistant for consistency and let Splitter get the HC job, but I don't expect that to happen.

Duster, I would like to see the swap as well, give it to Splitter.

[Pattycakes]

We want the Epstein files

[Kiss of Death]

All the details:

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The FBI is holding a press conference right now on the details around this morning's sports gambling bust.

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Current and former NBA players and coaches Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones have been arrested.

2. This was an illegal gambling and sports rigging operation that spanned years across 11 states. In total, 30 individuals have been arrested (13 mafia members).

3. The case involves La Cosa Nostra (the Italian mafia).

4. Charges include illegal gambling, wire fraud, and extortion.

5. There are two separate indictments. The first involves six defendants accused of participating in a sports corruption scheme that exploited insider information involving NBA players and teams. The defendants leveraged their connections to place prop bets based on confidential insider information, winning tens of thousands of dollars per bet.

The second indictment involves 31 defendants charged with participating in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. The FBI says they used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed.

6. The two cases are separate, but there are three overlapping defendants, including former NBA player and coach Damon Jones.

7. The FBI says that NBA player Terry Rozier told the defendants that he was going to leave a game early on March 23, 2023, with an injury. The defendants then placed more than $200,000 of wagers on the unders for his prop bets, with Rozier leaving the game after nine minutes. Those bets paid out tens of thousands of dollars in profits, and the defendants and Rozier counted the money at his house.

8 The FBI says that former Raptors player Jontay Porter was threatened to participate in the sports gambling scheme because of his gambling debts.

9. Teams that were bet on during the sports gambling scheme include the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Toronto Raptors.

10. The rigged poker games occurred in the Hamptons, Miami, Las Vegas, and Manhattan.

11. The poker scheme targeted victims who were lured to participate in rigged poker games by the chance to play alongside former professional athletes. These athletes included Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.

12. The FBI says that the defendants utilized altered shuffling machines to read the cards in the deck and then relayed that information to an off-site operator. The offsite operator — known as the "quarterback" — then sent that information to someone at the table.

13. The FBI also says that the defendants utilized other cheating technologies, including poker chip trays that read cards through hidden cameras, special contact lenses and glasses that could read marked cards, and x-ray poker tables that could read cards face down.

14. The FBI says that the defendants robbed a victim at gunpoint to acquire a rigged shuffling machine.

15. The sports gambling investigation is called "Operation Nothing But Net," while the poker investigation is called "Operation Royal Flush."

16. The FBI has been working on this investigation for four years, with victims losing at least $7 million.

17. One specific victim lost at least $1.8 million.

18. The FBI reviewed thousands of hours of video evidence and executed more than two dozen search warrants.

These are just accusations at this point. I am just pointing out details from the FBI's investigation.

[EastonEddy]

Lock him up.

[ItsDanger]

Sounds similar to league giving Lakers way more free throws than opponents.

[Castle Black]

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[zimpy27]

Chauncey Billups always sounded like a 1950s gangster name.

[infinite11285]

So Billups coaching their next game or nah?

Just placed a wager that he’ll miss the game. Seems like a safe bet.

[jokeboy86]

Stephen A auditioning for a cabinet position.

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He's a glazer and unfortunately he's getting to that Rogan/McAfee state where he feels more money and fame in media means he can say and do whatever he wants and no one can correct him.

I will say he's right about this current administration basically targeting anyone or any organization that insulted them, doesn't praise them, or do things that their hardcore base doesn't like. This administration(and by extension its base and supporters) probably doesnt like the NBA, its players and the cities where they play in. They probably really dont like that Silver lets his players and even coaches openly take shots at them. So it wouldnt surprise me if they relish the opportunity making the NBA look bad in the media.

In the grand scheme both the Billups story and Rozier story may be minor and not be anything more then whats happening with other figures and other sports but I expect the platforms and media who already dont like the NBA to go overboard with this and gangpile on Silver because thats what their audience wants to hear/see. Its no different than their Caitlin Clark/WNBA coverage

[zimpy27]

"operation nothing but net"

Haha incredible

[Sixers in 4]

So chauncey rigged poker games to ensnare NBA players. I remember people wanting to give him slack what an absolute POS. He is worse than Rozier in my book.

[DusterBuster]

If they fire Billups, I think they need to promote Nate Bjorkgren, and Tiago Splitter as the assistant coach.

Yep, pretty much what everyone in town suspects to happen.

I'd actually love to see that swapped. Keep Nate in assistant for consistency and let Splitter get the HC job, but I don't expect that to happen.

Duster, I would like to see the swap as well, give it to Splitter.

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Lookie there

[Castle Black]

Kevin Love just posted this on his IG lmao

[The4thHorseman]

Stephen A auditioning for a cabinet position.

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That's why he's called Stupid A. Blatantly talking out of his ass.

[Marvin Martian]

Why would Billups and Rozier even get involved in this? They have made so much money during their careers

[zimpy27]

Why would Billups and Rozier even get involved in this? They have made so much money during their careers

Probably got addicted to gambling, ran up some debts with mafia and got involved to pay it back

[Ssj16]

So Billups coaching their next game or nah?

He'll be coaching d-block next.

Spoiler:

Sorry, I just had to make the joke