The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
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FBI uncovers wide-scale gambling scheme within the NBA

Darwin Kamau and Devyn Potts
October 27, 2025
Alanna Durkin Richer, Tim Reynolds and Philip Marcelo
Following extensive investigations and research, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officers arrested National Basketball Association (NBA) player Terry Rozier III and Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups on October 23, 2025. This moment marks a precipice in the sports gambling crisis faced by the league and its members. League commissioner Adam Silver approaches a critical decision in the fate of online betting as the league embeds itself closely with wagering sites.

October 23, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collected substantial evidence to reveal an undercover sports betting scheme within the National Basketball Association (NBA). Along with 28 other arrests, agents took Miami Heat player Terry Rozier III (2) and Portland Trailblazers’ coach Chauncey Billups into custody under suspicion of rigging games and providing insider information to gamblers. The arrests signify a peak in the NBA’s ongoing scramble with sports betting, failing to condemn any wagering and consistently promoting networks.

“I can’t lie, they weren’t thinking straight when they started gambling on live games. Betting as a whole isn’t an issue, but when you mess with other people’s livelihoods, then it should be stopped. Terry Rozier was definitely rigging games, though, we could all see it with how bad he was playing,” junior Cohen Pendegrass said.

Rozier’s gambling contentions date back to the 2022-23 season with the Charlotte Hornets. 46 minutes before a match against the Milwaukee Bucks, 30 wagers occurred on Rozier scoring under the predicted points. All 30 bets cashed as Rozier left the court 10 minutes into the game due to a supposed foot injury. The league investigated the unusual coincidence, but failed to uncover any solid evidence.

Through current evidence on the investigation, the indictments also include illegal tampering of underground poker games. Billups faces suspicion of involvement within the scheme, along with alleged ties to organized crime families spreading the rigging around the U.S.. Mafia syndicates received a healthy portion of the winning sums in exchange for providing secrecy of Billups’s involvement with the scandal.

During his tenure in Portland, Billups amassed a 117-212 record and failed to clinch the playoffs. Before coaching, Billups played in the NBA for 17 seasons with incredible success. He found the bulk of his success with the Detroit Pistons, averaging 16.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. The five-time all-star also boasts a Finals MVP in his trophy case and an induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2024. Rozier, a 10-year veteran of the league, played four seasons with the Boston Celtics, reaching the playoffs in all four of those seasons. Despite the success, both the Trailblazers and Heat placed Billups and Rozier on leave for apparent personal issues. Rozier currently awaits federal hearings from judges on his sentencing and indictments.

FBI director Kash Patel described the magnitude of the fraud as mind-boggling. He alleges that the organization of the gambling and poker games dates back to 2019. The 30 arrests, in addition to those of Billups and Rozier, join various other instances of players taken into custody. Aside from primary suspects Billups and Rozier, the FBI arrested former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones for his ties to the betting ring. Jones played in the league for 10 seasons before signing a coaching contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jones relayed insider information to close friends on Los Angeles Lakers’ Lebron James’s (23) health before a game to secure betting wins.

11-year referee Tim Donaghy faced charges of illegal tampering in July 2007, as he conspired with gamblers on which bets to place. Donaghy pled guilty to all charges brought up by the FBI and spent 15 months in prison. In 2024, the NBA banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter (34) from the league for life following his involvement in betting on his own games through a gambling website. Only months after Porter’s ban, police arrested former All-Star and currently retired Gilbert Arenas (0) in the summer of 2025 following allegations of running an illegal gambling ring out of his California mansion.

“First of all, it is absolutely crazy that it is Mafia-related gambling. I would feel very hurt and really disappointed if I got scammed and if they used [high-tech] to take my money. I think it’s going to be very difficult to handle [league punishments] because there are very important people [involved], either way, there is no best way of handling it,” junior Bre Jimnah said. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver receives intensified pressure to release a statement on the arrests or the overall scandal. This arrest reigns above all other instances of gambling due to the nationwide span of its involvement. The NBA’s owners will need to come to a harsh conclusion over the fate of sports betting in the league.

 
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About the Contributors
Darwin Kamau
Darwin Kamau, Reporter
Darwin Kamau finished his junior year and first two semesters on The Chant with a new appreciation for both staying and keeping others updated on current events. Looking into the future, Darwin sees a mountain of work and the ambition to accomplish it. Darwin plans to add more content to The Chant’s Student Life page, looking to capture moments that highlight the unity found within the NC population. Darwin hopes to exceed the standards set by his previous work and to collaborate with his classmates to produce only the best on The Chant. Outside of the newspaper, Darwin spends his spare time traveling to new places, spending time with his family,  and listening to music.   Find him on Instagram @darwln.dk
Devyn Potts
Devyn Potts, Reporter
Devyn Potts, a magnet sophomore, is starting her first year on The Chant staff and is looking forward to contributing as a Reporter for the 2025-2026 school year. Growing up in school, Potts always had a love for everything creative. In the first grade, Potts wrote about her love for chocolate, and it was submitted for a writing competition. Ever since then, her love for writing has only grown. Catch her on the sideline on Friday nights, cheering on the Warrior football team in the fall, and on the court, cheering on the basketball team in the winter. Oftentimes, you will hear Potts talking about sports, her many clubs, BSU, Tribal Connections and Beta Club, or any random thing that comes to mind. Potts has an immense love for any and everything sport-related, so feel free to come up and talk about stats, games, or headlines at any time.    Find her on Instagram @devynmckinley_.
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