The FBI announced the arrest of more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, as part of a federal investigation into an alleged illegal gambling and sports rigging operation linked to the mafia. Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested as part of the investigation. “We are here in New York to announce a historic arrest across a wide, sweeping criminal enterprise that envelops both the NBA and La Cosa Nostra,” FBI Director Kash Patel said at a press conference in Brooklyn, New York. “The FBI led a coordinated takedown across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing. Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against  La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families,” he continued. Check it out: BREAKING: Kash Patel names multiple high-profile NBA arrests in an alleged illegal gambling ring that spanned years. More than 30 people were arrested in the case — including current and former NBA stars and suspected members of the American branch of the Sicilian Mafia, La… pic.twitter.com/EXuu2VxylP — Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2025 CNBC has more: In a statement, the NBA said that Rozier and Billups “are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.” “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said. The arrests stem from two major fraud-related cases: one involving sports betting, and the other linked to “rigged poker games,” Nocella said. The latter indictment encompasses 31 defendants, including Billups, who allegedly “participated in a nationwide scheme” to rig the games using “high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed,” Nocella said. The games that took place in the New York area were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, he said. “Here’s NYPD’s Tisch alleging Terry Rozier said he was leaving a Hornets game early with a fake injury, $200k in bets were placed, Rozier played just nine minutes & they later counted money at Rozier’s home. Rozier has made $160 million in his NBA career,” OutKick founder Clay Travis wrote. Here’s NYPD’s Tisch alleging Terry Rozier said he was leaving a Hornets game early with a fake injury, $200k in bets were placed, Rozier played just nine minutes & they later counted money at Rozier’s home. Rozier has made $160 million in his NBA career: pic.twitter.com/DQugqadk8o — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 23, 2025 “New York FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia revealed that NBA players and coaches were allegedly used by the Italian mafia to lure high-stakes poker players into rigged games,” Shadow of Ezra wrote. “The games were fixed using X-ray technology, with the profits funneled back to fund Italian mafia families,” the post added. New York FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia revealed that NBA players and coaches were allegedly used by the Italian mafia to lure high-stakes poker players into rigged games. The games were fixed using X-ray technology, with the profits funneled back to fund Italian mafia… pic.twitter.com/Q2MJhlwRAz — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) October 23, 2025 Fox News shared further info: The lawyer for Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier slammed the FBI on Thursday after his client was arrested as part of officials’ widespread illegal gambling investigation. Rozier, Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA coach Damon Jones were among the professional sports figures arrested in the probe. “We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel,” James Trusty, of Ifrah Law PLLC, said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. 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 in-credible 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.” Rozier was allegedly involved in a scheme to manipulate statistics in order for his alleged co-conspirators to profit from prop bets.