NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
'deeply disturbed' by gambling arrests of Billups and Rozier
[October 25, 2025]
By TIM REYNOLDS
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his first public comments since the
arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry
Rozier on gambling-related charges, said Friday night that he was
stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league.
“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said on
Amazon Prime Video, during the streaming service's first broadcast —
Boston at New York. “There’s nothing more important to the league
and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in
my stomach. It was very upsetting.”
Such was a sentiment shared by many around the league on Friday, one
day after the indictments were unsealed and nearly three dozen
people — most notably, Billups and Rozier — were arrested by federal
officials.
Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired
with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical
performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player
Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver
in 2024.
Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money
laundering for participating in what federal officials called
Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of
someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment
detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player
health statuses.
The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.
"I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this
situation,” Silver said during the in-game interview.
The Rozier case has gone on since March 23, 2023. He was with the
Charlotte Hornets at that time, and sportsbooks — legal ones —
alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier's “prop bets”
that day. Rozier went on to play about 9 1/2 minutes, and those who
bet that he would underperform the listed stat lines won those
wagers. Federal officials said more than $200,000 was bet on those
lines alone.
The NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier, Silver
said.
“We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. "Terry at the time
cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an
interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient
evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.
“He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry.
Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on
administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s
rights and investigating.”
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue calls Billups his best friend
and said the news was difficult to take. He said he spoke with
Billups on Thursday night and was encouraged by what he heard.
“To go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my
goddaughters, it was a tough day,” Lue said. “You never want to see
your friends go through anything like that."
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers started in the NBA as a player more than
40 years ago. He’s seen plenty of good and bad. He thought he had
heard it all. That is, until now.
“It’s really sad,” Rivers said Friday.
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Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers talks to his players during
the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the
Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP
Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Along with Billups and Rozier, former NBA player
Damon Jones now faces charges because officials said he tipped off
bettors about the health status of two Los Angeles Lakers players.
The details in that indictment clearly show that Jones was
discussing the availability of LeBron James and former Lakers center
Anthony Davis with bettors before their statuses for certain games
was known publicly. There is no indication that James or Davis had
any knowledge of what Jones was alleged to be doing.
“We see now what those things can turn into and how
they can spread, just how valuable this information is,” Detroit
coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s a difficult situation overall but
once you introduce gambling that the sports world has now, there’s
going to be some very dangerous situations out there for everybody —
from a security standpoint, from this type of thing standpoint.”
All teams are required by the NBA to educate players, coaches and
staff annually about what is allowed and not allowed when it comes
to gambling. The Orlando Magic met recently about that very topic.
And then after the news Thursday, they met again.
“Yesterday was another reminder of what we have to do,” Magic coach
Jamahl Mosley said. “We had another conversation with the group. I
think the more that is going on, the more we have to continue to
talk to the group about what is happening.”
The league has at least 14 relationships with sportsbooks, including
FanDuel and DraftKings. Some teams have their own deals as well.
Silver has often spoken of how legal betting can be monitored and
how unusual patterns can be flagged immediately, part of the reason
why the league believes the integrity of games can be protected.
But some coaches and players still believe more can be done.
“The league, the game and the business of the league has evolved.
And so we just have to be aware of how things evolve in this
business, right?” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. "It’s very
important for us to continue to just be educated and mindful of
everything that has to do with our business. ... I believe in Adam
Silver and the league, that they will do whatever is necessary to
continue to grow the game in the right way.”
Another issue for players and coaches is how social media has given
bettors ways to communicate with those inside the league. Those
interactions, many have said, are not always friendly.
“The outside world, in my day, couldn’t get to us. They literally
couldn’t get to us,” Rivers said Friday. “And now they can, with
ease.”
___
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney, AP Sports Writers Beth Harris,
Kristie Rieken and Brett Martel, and Associated Press freelance
writers Dick Scanlon and Griffin Porter contributed to this report.
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