Inside the NBA on Chauncey Billups & Terry Rozier arrests in FBI gambling investigations

Um guys, you feel free to weigh in now. Shaq, you’ve heard from Shams. You saw the FBI director speaking about this. What do you think? I know everybody that’s at play and I don’t like to sit up here and be hypocritical about certain things. I homeboy gamble, Ernie. You know, bet it, you know, we we we’ve been on teams. We played Carbs. We played Spades. We we we played Tonk. But with that being said, every year they would give us forums on what and what not to do. One of those things where if somebody ask you if a certain player is playing, you say no. So all these guys knew what were what was at stake and I’m just ashamed that they put themselves and put their family and put the NBA in this position. We all know the rules. We all know the letter of the law and it it’s it’s it’s just unfortunate uh you know innocent to proven guilt guilty but usually when the FBI has something they have you you know FBI I I’ve I know a lot of people from the FBI and I’ve been in many of those investigations they’ll wait two three four five years but when they but when they come knocking on your door they have something and we all know the the letter of the law when it comes to gambling and sports gambling And I don’t want to sit up here like I’m some perfect guy. Like I every now and then when I go to Vegas, I’ll play some craps and I, you know, I I’ll play some roulette, but never gambled at anybody’s house. Don’t know anything about poker. So I don’t know what what they talking about when it come to the to the chony thing, but I know uh Chony, I know Damon very well. Played with Damon. So I don’t want to sit up here, but I’m ashamed that that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy. that like there’s old saying in the hood, all money ain’t good money. So if you’re making $9 million and you’re dealing in certain things like how how how much how much more do you need? Especially especially if you know you get caught, you can do jail time, lose your career, you know, put put, you know, put put a bad image on on yourself or your family or on the NBA. I agree with you, Chuck. They they dropped the ball, you know,%, you know, they had% dropped the ball and like you you never you never want to have your name involved in that when you know the letter of the law. And Ernie, again, I know for a fact every year they they they cancel practice and say, “Don’t do this and don’t do that and don’t do that.” So, all the guys had the information. So, let’s let’s let Kenny get in on this thing. Well, it it’s super unfortunate, you know, one because we look at players that are involved and the people that are involved, you know, we we’re surprised because when you have access and you’re at the top of your game, so to speak, as a coaching profession, a player, whatever, you’re at the top of the game, you have access to millions and millions of dollars in this league. So, it was surprising that they would be put themselves in that position possibly. It is an innocent until proven guilty. Um I think the other part is we have to realize gambling is an addiction. So the addiction of it is what makes you make illogical decisions. So not because you make $9 million. There are people who are making the as uh the FBI director said there’s a man who lost $1.8 million. That means he has a lot of money. So he has an addiction to that those fish that they talk about that they were bringing in. So gambling is an addiction which can make you make illogical decisions regardless of your ethnic background, regardless of your physical background, and regardless of your financial status. So let’s understand that. And I I I disagree in terms of the NBA dropping the ball. This is an ongoing investigation. There’s no way that any FBI or police even would come to anyone and say, “Hey, this is what we’re doing. This is all the surprise element always makes it happen.” So, they cannot over overextend the information that they’re receiving. And this is about individuals. And last, and I’ll let you talk, Chuck. I I will cuz you’re making me mad right here. Well, well, I can make you mad and you can make me mad. I just have my opinion. you you’re going to have yours. But I I also think that because there are people who get speeding tickets doesn’t mean everyone in the league speeds. And so don’t look at this group of people that starting to get investigated as the entire league. Really just want this. You say the the league dropped the ball on the Rosir part of this because they had already looked at it and said we didn’t have enough but not on the chanty. They didn’t drop the ball on Ch. You take Chanty out the equation. All right. And I The reason I’m mad at Kenny is man, this ain’t got nothing to do with damn gambling addiction. This ain’t got nothing to do with addiction. These dudes are stupid. Why are they stupid? You under no circumstances can you fix basketball games. Under under no circumstances. I love to gamble. The notion like Rosia makes $26 million. him betting giving people information or or or taking himself out of games. How much is he going to benefit taking himself out the game to get unders? Like he’s making $26 million. The notion he g how much the these guys he gave a head up. He took himself out of games on prop bets. How much money is he gonna make? Well, if he did that, you’re proving my point. What do you mean? Daddy got that means logical thought process. If you’re making $26 million to try to win $50,000, like that’s illogical. So that you’re proving my point. No, that’s not addiction. That’s stupidity. The same reason someone goes and uses drugs when they in the NBA. Drugs are drugs are addiction. We gambling addiction. No. Yeah, they are gambling addiction. But the notion that the you trying to make these guys being addicted, you can’t fix You cannot, like I say, this is separate from Chelsea. But the notion that guys are making all this money and giving information, it’s it’s Come on, man. Stop that. Ain’t got nothing to do with addiction. That’s just total stupidity on those two dudes parts. We will have more as the night goes on. Again, Shams will join us at the end of the night on Inside the NBA. [Music]

On Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley react to the breaking news that Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday as part of a pair of investigations related to illegal gambling.

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21 comments

  3. Wealthy people can become addicted to all kinds of things. Often, people look at the children of the rich and wonder how they end up addicted to fentanyl, judging them harshly. I can understand both sides of the argument, though. Sure, some of these people make foolish decisions, sacrificing so much for nickels and dimes, but there might be some logic to it. Maybe these wealthy individuals are addicted to "outsmarting others", drawn to the thrill of gambling when they’re not supposed to. There are so many factors at play.

  10. Tim Donaghy. Tim Donaghy. Stern made sure to shut down any FBI inquiry beyond Donaghy who was made the fall guy. This was not as much about gambling (though Donaghy has said that) but about the league itself tilting the likely outcomes of games through officiating.

    Due to the reliance on how integral referees and officiating are to basketball compared to football (though bad or rigged calls swing a game more in NFL), it is likely the more corrupt league. Until recently, I would have said the NFL was at least a bit better, but it has become clear how bad (on purpose?) the officiating is. It's all sports entertainment now.

  17. I think Kenny and Chuck are both right.

    Gambling is an addiction and that addiction can cause you to make irrational decisions. Including the decisions these guys made. I definitely could believe addiction is a part of it. And people need to understand that saying “addiction” doesn’t negate accountability. Addicts are just as accountable for their actions as anyone else – addiction is an explanation, not an excuse.

    But Chuck is making a more nuanced point that I think is worth considering – a gambling addict is typically compulsive in the moment – they get swept away with dopamine hits and end up betting more than they can afford. Chuck’s point is that this is too calculated and persistent to be explained simply by addict behavior – in other wards, if you’re a gambling addict you might bet all your money on black on one roulette spin, but there are more insidious forces than simple addiction when you’re involved in a massive conspiracy to cheat an entire organization, fan base, and betting institution. That’s more than just addict behavior. That’s also greed and shows a lack of morals (whereas sitting at a slot machine and running down your bank account only hurts you).

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