Former NFL star Chad Johnson didn’t hold back while speaking about the shocking gambling scandal in the NBA when he appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s Nightcap podcast. The former NFL wide receiver also provided a horrifying perspective on the potential consequences of an athlete becoming involved with betting with the mafia.
“These people have no regard for life,” Johnson stated (0:05).
Johnson also highlighted the terrifying demands placed on anyone doing business with the mafia.
“Once you in business with them, that means you got to always… I [the mafia] need all the answers. I need who’s playing, who’s coming out. What’s the scoreline going to be,” he explained (0:09).
Ocho can’t get over the Mafia’s role in the NBA betting scandal@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco #NightcapShow pic.twitter.com/dcZlcaZ7QD
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) October 24, 2025
But the real danger comes when things go wrong. Johnson posed a series of critical questions of what could go wrong for the players involved if the results and the insider information don’t materialize into favorable results for the bookies.
“What happens when you get it wrong? What happens when you mess up? What happens when, when you, you, you, you place a bet and you give them certain information and it doesn’t come out the way it should,” he further elaborated (0:20).
These comments come as the FBI unveiled one of the most sweeping gambling scandals in American sports history. Federal authorities arrested 34 individuals across 11 states, including active NBA players and coaches with alleged ties to New York’s organized crime families.
Terry Rozier Accused Of Sharing Insider Details For Betting Advantage
Among those arrested amidst this gambling scandal were Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones.
Joseph Nocella, who is the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, explained how the schemes worked.
“They also misused information obtained through longstanding friendships that they had with NBA players and coaches,” he explained
Prosecutors claim Terry Rozier and his associates were aware, ahead of time, whether players would be sitting out games or leaving the game early with a false injury. Knowing ahead of time, they placed a series of bets on those athletes to not achieve certain goals in specific statistical categories like points, assists, or rebounds.
Federal officials identified seven specific dates during the 2023 to 2024 timeframe, where hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal wagers were placed, based on insider trades.
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