Silver Says NBA Is Taking Gambling Scandal Seriously, May Check Out
LAS VEGAS (AP) - It is important for the NBA to be perceived as having stability, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday, including that the gambling scandals that caused 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 press conference quickly before the start of the NBA Cup last were his first given that Rozier, Billups and others were arrested in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gaming capital that the league has actually used for significant occasions like the Cup final and Summer League for some time.
"I believe the fans care a lot," Silver said. "It ´ s tough to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are stating or what ´ s even on social networks. Fans definitely care. And I mean it when I say, if this video game isn ´ t deemed being truthful and the competitors being on the level and at the highest integrity, over time we will lose our fan base. I believe about that. And so, I take it incredibly seriously."
The NBA is not sure how long the investigations and legal procedures surrounding gambling charges faced by Rozier, Billups - a Basketball Hall of Fame conscript - and others will require finished, Silver stated.
But the league will look into the possibility of offering Miami some sort of "acceptable relief" since Rozier presently can ´ t play, Silver included, though he stopped short of saying such a move would be possible.
"This is an unmatched scenario," 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 concern for the league and the Heat, considered that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million income takes up about 17 % of the team ´ 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 uncertain who understood that Rozier was under federal investigation when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.
Rozier pleaded innocent earlier this month to wire scams and money laundering conspiracy charges originating from accusations that he helped some pals win bets that revolved around 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 expected back in court up until March, and he stays on unpaid leave from the Heat.
Prosecutors state Rozier notified the wagerers that he intended to leave the game versus the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, permitting gamblers to put wagers earning them 10s of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the very first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the video game before leaving, pointing out a foot concern. He did not play again that season and was consequently traded to the Heat.
Rozier isn ´ t getting his pay, however his wage 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 arrangement.
"We ´ re going to attempt to work something through, work this out with them," Silver stated. "But there ´ s no obvious service here. I would just say that there ´ s no doubt at the minute they have a player that can ´ t perform services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been convicted of anything yet either - however this is an unfortunate scenario. Sometimes there ´ s these distinct occasions and maybe in some cases they need a special option."
Billups likewise pleaded innocent last month to charges related to a separate scheme to repair 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 - detained in October as part of a vast federal takedown of unlawful betting operations linked to pro sports.
The league needs yearly training for gamers, coaches and personnel about what's permitted and what isn't permitted relating to betting, which is now legal in a lot of states. Silver famously promoted legalization of sports betting in an op-ed he composed for The New York Times in 2014.
The circumstances with Rozier and Billups have resulted in a quest for even heightened awareness, Silver said. The league is also taking a look at how best to guarantee prop bets based entirely on a gamer's analytical - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 game - can be executed relatively.
"We ´ ve been enhancing our efforts at the league office, dealing with our groups, taking a look at every element of our guidelines around sports wagering," Silver said. "Are there much better methods to inform the participants? Are there alters we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We're in the procedure as I stated right now and working with our teams thinking of anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any aspect of our system that requires to be shored up."