A former crime boss, who is now a famous internet personality, recently shared his thoughts on the betting scandal involving Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. On Oct. 23, Rozier was arrested early in the morning in Orlando, Florida, right after he and the rest of coach Erik Spoelstra’s Heat lost to the Orlando Magic 125-121 in their first game of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Rozier has been accused of participating in betting schemes with the information he has as an NBA player. One of the games for which there is alleged evidence of this was in March 2023, when Rozier told his close companions that he would be leaving the game early despite no signs of injury for them to bet on it. Former crime boss Michael Franzese has reacted to the scandal via his YouTube channel.
“Remember this, it’s never about winning or losing. It’s about what? The point spread. I’ll give you an example…Scenario: Lakers are favored to win by 10 points. They get an inside deal with the referee’s. He tells somebody he can trust, ‘Listen, I want you to bet on the under.’ The manipulation: The referee can now control the game’s flow. He can call a foul every time the star players move down the court or he doesn’t have to call the foul,” he explained (8:53).
“He misses it, right? He gives a star an extra foul or two and puts him on the bench for extra time. This limits the possibility of the game going to the over. It’s very easy to manipulate an NBA game. He just did it. He told his friend, ‘I’m going to go out on an injury. Bet the under.’ They make it very, very simple,” Franzese added.
Franzese went on to claim that such betting schemes and gambling processes have been there in the NBA for a long time, but are being brought to light only now. He also discussed Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones’ reported poker games with the mafia, claiming that they were easy prey.
Read More: Days After Terry Rozier’s Arrest, NBA Tightens Up On Injury Reporting Rules as Gambling Partnerships Continue
Terry Rozier’s Attorney Claims The Player Is Innocent
According to a report by Sports Business Journal on Tuesday, Oct. 28, Terry Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said the Miami Heat player did not commit any crime.
Trusty claimed that his client is innocent, given that the evidence suggested by the authorities was from a time when Rozier’s team was already out of the playoffs and he was exhausted.
“I will just tell you, confiding in a friend, a childhood friend, and saying, ‘Man, I’m banged up, it’s the end of the season, we’re out of the playoffs, I think I’m going to sit early in this game,’ That’s not a crime. That’s nothing. That’s not even prohibited by any sort of statute. That’s simply confiding in a friend. And maybe the league should create rules that say you can only tell a manager or trainer or your priest or your mom. But he told a friend. And, whatever that friend did is not on Terry,” Trusty was quoted as saying.
Also Read: Chad Johnson Issues Chilling Warning on FBI’s Role in Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Gambling Probe
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