Silver Says NBA Is Taking Gambling Scandal Seriously, May Check Out
LAS VEGAS (AP) - It is crucial for the NBA to be perceived as having integrity, Commissioner Adam Silver stated Tuesday, including that the gambling scandals that resulted in the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier, Portland coach Chauncey Billups and others are being taken with the utmost severity.
Silver's remarks in a news conference soon before the start of the NBA Cup final were his very first considering that Rozier, Billups and others were apprehended in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a betting capital that the league has used for significant events like the Cup last and Summer League for some time.
"I believe the fans care a lot," Silver said. "It ´ s hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are stating or what ´ s even on social networks. Fans certainly care. And I imply it when I say, if this video game isn ´ t deemed being truthful and the competition being on the level and at the greatest stability, over time we will lose our fan base. I believe about that. And so, I take it incredibly seriously."
The NBA is uncertain for how long the investigations and legal procedures surrounding gambling charges dealt with by Rozier, Billups - a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee - and others will take to be finished, Silver stated.
But the league will look into the possibility of providing Miami some sort of "satisfying relief" because Rozier currently can ´ t play, Silver included, though he stopped short of saying such a relocation would be possible.
"This is an unmatched scenario," Silver said.
Miami Heat's Terry Rozier, right, leaves Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in New york city. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
It ´ s a multi-layered problem for the league and the Heat, considered that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million salary uses up about 17 % of the group ´ s cap area - which the team still owes Charlotte a first-round choice in either 2027 or 2028 to please the terms of the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It ´ s who knew that Rozier was under federal examination when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.
Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month to wire scams and money laundering conspiracy charges coming from allegations that he helped some pals win bets that focused on his analytical efficiency in a video game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is free on $3 million bond and isn ´ t anticipated back in court till March, and he remains on unsettled leave from the Heat.
Prosecutors state Rozier notified the wagerers that he meant to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to position wagers making them 10s of countless dollars. Rozier played the very first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of the video game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play once again that season and was consequently traded to the Heat.
Rozier isn ´ t getting his pay, but his income is still on the Heat ´ s books and is being sent out to an interest-bearing account pending resolution of his case or some other contract.
"We ´ re going to try to work something through, work this out with them," Silver stated. "But there ´ s no apparent solution here. I would just say that there ´ s no doubt at the minute they have a gamer that can ´ t carry out services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been founded guilty of anything yet either - however this is a regrettable situation. Sometimes there ´ s these unique occasions and maybe sometimes they require a distinct option."
Billups likewise pleaded not guilty last month to charges associated with a different plan to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker video games. Rozier, Billups and previous NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 people - consisting of numerous Mafia figures - arrested in October as part of a vast federal takedown of prohibited gambling operations connected to professional sports.
The league requires annual training for gamers, coaches and staff about what's allowed and what isn't allowed relating to gaming, which is now legal in a lot of states. Silver notoriously promoted legalization of sports betting in an op-ed he wrote for The New york city Times in 2014.
The situations with Rozier and Billups have actually resulted in a quest for even increased awareness, Silver stated. The league is also looking at how finest to guarantee prop bets based exclusively on a player's statistical performance - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 video game - can be performed relatively.
"We ´ ve been enhancing our efforts at the league workplace, working with our teams, taking a look at every aspect of our rules around sports wagering," Silver said. "Are there much better methods to educate the individuals? Are there changes we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We remain in the procedure as I stated today and working with our groups thinking of anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any aspect of our system that requires to be supported."