On Thursday, while the NBA was enjoying the first few days of its season, it was hit with a huge gambling scandal. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player Damon Jones were arrested in connection with a wider federal investigation into sports betting and gambling.
This has led to a larger discussion around the impact of the promotion of sports betting in the NBA. On Thursday, after the news came out, Colin Cowherd released an episode of his podcast, with analyst Danny Parkins coming on as a guest. Parkins spoke about the situation and how easy it is for players to get wrapped up in sports betting these days.
“It is objectively true that the way that these players got caught, Jontay Porter, Rozier, like for tanking their unders, is because it was legal,” Danny Parkins said (Timestamp 12:05). “Like it’s the regulation is what allowed it to be caught on Day 1.
“If Terry Rozier’s player prop of nine and a half points is posted and normally that gets $2,000 worth of action across a bunch of $10, $50, $100 bets, and then one day there’s mid five figures of action, that gets flagged and it gets notified, and the site — FanDuel, DraftKings, Hard Rock, whomever — and the league, their interests on that are aligned.
“Like the NBA wants the integrity of the game and the gambling company doesn’t want to lose money. So like they’re they are catching that quicker and more accurately, literally the day it happens, in all of these cases that have come up because of the regulation. So, like the idea that it is like happening more because of it, they’re going to also catch it.”
The Terry Rozier and NBA Gambling Scandal Came In the Opening Week of the NBA Season
The arrests of Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones came during the first week of the NBA season. The season began on Tuesday, and Thursday featured two high-profile matchups. Unfortunately for the league, all focus was on the scandal rather than the game.
This is not the first time that the NBA has been involved in a gambling scandal, although this is certainly the biggest one. Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was investigated for sports betting in March 2024 and was subsequently banned from the NBA for life.
Read More:
Terry Rozier Arrest: What Happened With Miami Guard That Led to Shocking Charges
Malik Beasley Hangs in the Balance After Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Arrest – Reports
Commissioner Adam Silver Opens Up After Arrests in the NBA for Illegal Gambling Charges
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