Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested as part of a broad FBI investigation into an illegal sports gambling operation that has implicated several high-profile figures in professional sports. Among those arrested were Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA coach Damon Jones, highlighting the widespread nature of the probe. The arrests mark a significant development in the ongoing federal inquiry into illegal betting activities linked to professional athletes and coaches.
Rozier’s arrest drew immediate criticism from his legal team, who accused the FBI of handling the situation in an unnecessarily aggressive and public manner. James Trusty, Rozier’s attorney from Ifrah Law PLLC, stated that the defense had been in contact with prosecutors for over a year and had sought to maintain open communication. According to Trusty, Rozier was considered a “subject” rather than a “target” for much of the investigation, suggesting a lower level of suspicion against him. However, the FBI reportedly chose to arrest Rozier early in the morning at a hotel rather than allowing him to surrender voluntarily. Trusty condemned the move as a “photo op,” implying that the authorities prioritized public spectacle over fairness and due process.
“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender they opted for a photo op,” Trusty said in a statement. “They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly incredible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
The charges against Rozier reportedly involve allegations that he was part of a scheme to manipulate game statistics, enabling co-conspirators to profit from prop bets placed on NBA games. Prop bets, or proposition bets, are wagers placed on specific outcomes within a game, such as individual player performance statistics, rather than the final result. The suggestion is that by influencing these statistics, those involved could unfairly gain financially from betting markets.
The NBA has confirmed that Rozier was under federal investigation as early as January 2025. The league had been alerted to suspicious betting activity surrounding Rozier’s performance in a specific game held on March 23, 2023, between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. At the time, the NBA conducted its own internal investigation and found no violation of league rules. The league has cooperated with the ongoing federal investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” the NBA told The Wall Street Journal. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
The game in question is notable because Rozier played just the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds before leaving the game, citing a foot injury. He did not return for the remainder of the game and did not play again for the rest of that NBA season. The Hornets had eight games left in the season and were not in playoff contention, so his early exit and season shutdown did not initially raise alarms. During the brief time he was on the court, Rozier posted five points, four rebounds, and two assists—statistics that, while productive for a single quarter, were significantly below his usual full-game output.
Rozier’s arrest is part of a larger crackdown that has ensnared multiple individuals connected to professional basketball. Chauncey Billups, a respected Hall of Famer, and Damon Jones, a former NBA coach, were also taken into custody as part of the investigation. These developments underscore the seriousness with which federal authorities are treating allegations of illegal gambling and game manipulation in professional sports.
The probe has brought renewed attention to the challenges facing sports leagues in policing gambling-related misconduct. While sports betting has been legalized in various states across the U.S., illegal betting operations remain a concern due to the potential for corruption and integrity breaches. The NBA, like other leagues, has implemented strict rules and monitoring systems to detect and deter any attempts at influencing game outcomes for gambling purposes.