Silver Says NBA Is Taking Gambling Scandal Seriously, May Check Out
LAS VEGAS (AP) - It is crucial for the NBA to be viewed as having integrity, Commissioner Adam Silver stated Tuesday, adding that the gaming 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 shortly before the start of the NBA Cup last were his first given that Rozier, Billups and others were apprehended in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gambling capital that the league has utilized for major occasions like the Cup final and Summer League for some time.
"I believe the fans care a lot," Silver stated. "It ´ s hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are saying or what ´ s even on social media. Fans definitely care. And I indicate it when I state, if this video game isn ´ t saw as being sincere and the competition being on the level and at the highest stability, gradually we will lose our fan base. I believe about that. Therefore, I take it exceptionally seriously."
The NBA is uncertain how long the investigations and legal procedures surrounding gambling charges faced by Rozier, Billups - a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee - and others will require completed, Silver said.
But the league will check out the possibility of offering Miami some sort of "acceptable relief" because Rozier presently can ´ t play, Silver included, though he stopped short of stating such a move would be possible.
"This is an unmatched situation," Silver stated.
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, provided that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million wage uses up about 17 % of the team ´ s cap area - and that the group still owes Charlotte a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028 to satisfy the terms of the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It ´ s unclear who understood that Rozier was under federal examination when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.
Rozier pleaded not guilty previously this month to wire scams and cash laundering conspiracy charges stemming from accusations that he assisted some friends win bets that focused on his analytical efficiency in a video game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is totally free on $3 million bond and isn ´ t anticipated back in court until March, and he remains on unsettled leave from the Heat.
Prosecutors state Rozier informed the wagerers that he planned to leave the game versus the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing bettors to place wagers earning them 10s of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the very first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the video game before leaving, mentioning a foot issue. He did not play again that season and was subsequently traded to the Heat.
Rozier isn ´ t getting his pay, however his wage is still on the Heat ´ s books and is being sent to an interest-bearing account pending resolution of his case or some other contract.
"We ´ re going to attempt to work something through, work this out with them," Silver stated. "But there ´ s no obvious option here. I would just say that there ´ s no doubt at the moment they have a gamer that can ´ t perform services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been convicted of anything yet either - however this is a regrettable circumstance. Sometimes there ´ s these unique events and possibly sometimes they need a special service."
Billups likewise pleaded not guilty last month to charges related to a separate plan to repair high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker games. Rozier, Billups and former NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 individuals - consisting of numerous Mafia figures - detained in October as part of a sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations connected to pro sports.
The league requires yearly training for players, coaches and personnel about what's permitted and what isn't permitted relating to gaming, which is now legal in the majority of states. Silver notoriously promoted legalization of sports betting in an op-ed he wrote for The New Times in 2014.
The situations with Rozier and Billups have actually caused a quest for even increased awareness, Silver said. The league is also taking a look at how best to guarantee prop bets based solely on a player's analytical performance - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 video game - can be carried out fairly.
"We ´ ve been enhancing our efforts at the league office, working with our groups, taking a look at every aspect of our guidelines around sports betting," Silver stated. "Are there much better methods to educate the participants? Are there alters we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We remain in the procedure as I stated right now and dealing with our teams thinking of anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any element of our system that requires to be shored up."