Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry says he “wouldn’t worry” about the NBA’s integrity despite an FBI investigation into illegal sports betting.
Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups are among dozens of people arrested as part of a sweeping investigation that also includes allegedly rigged, mafia-linked poker games.
Rozier and Billups were named by federal prosecutors in two separate indictments on Thursday. Both men deny the allegations.
Rozier, 31, is among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities. They include NBA players being accused of faking injuries to influence gambling markets.
There is concern about the impact of gambling on the integrity of American sports, with most US states having legalised sports bettingsince the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.
“I think on the whole, everybody’s very mindful of what to do, what not to do, and understanding the landscape of sports right now in general,” said Curry, who has twice been the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
“And that’s not just a NBA thing, this is new territory for everybody. So I think, on the whole, we all are very responsible.
“The integrity of the game is fine, and then obviously we let the situation play out, whatever happens. But I wouldn’t worry about that too much.”
Warriors team-mate Draymond Green, who has won four NBA championships with Curry, added: “I was shocked. It’s a tough moment for the individuals involved, a tough moment for the league.
“But I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘man, you all partner with a gambling company, you open a can of worms’. That can of worms can be open with partnering with gambling companies or not.
“Partnering with a gambling company is not going to make gambling more accessible to us. The accessibility is what it is.”
Billups oversaw his side’s defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves hours before his arrest. Rozier was in Orlando for the Heat’s defeat to the Magic prior to his arrest but was not involved in the match.
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones was also arrested as part of the investigation, which has identified seven NBA matches between February 2023 and March 2024.
Rozier is said to have been involved in leaking insider information and faking injuries to influence betting odds for a match between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans in March 2023. Rozier was a Hornets player at the time and played in that match.
Jones, who ended his playing career in 2012, is alleged to have been involved in two matches – between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2023 and the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in January 2024 – that were part of the scheme.
The second indictment is related to illegal poker games with ties to organised crime that involved a total of 31 defendants, including Billups, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
Charges as part of that case include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal gambling.
Billups and Rozier both appeared in court on Thursday and were placed “on immediate leave” from their positions by the NBA prior to their court appearances. Both Miami and Portland have matches on Friday.
Earlier this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver called for tougher regulations on gambling in the US.
Article 35 of the NBA constitution says the commissioner has the power to “direct the dismissal and perpetual disqualification” of any player “offering, agreeing, conspiring, aiding or attempting to cause any game of basketball to result otherwise than on its merits”.
It adds that the penalty for “any player who, directly or indirectly, wagers money or anything of value on the outcome of any game” is down to the commissioner and “may include a fine, suspension, expulsion and/or perpetual disqualification”.
By BBC Sports
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