Chauncey Billups has been pictured leaving court after he was arrested as part of a FBI investigation into a Mafia-led gambling ring that spanned decades.
The NBA was engulfed in crisis on Thursday - just two days into the new season - after the Feds launched a series of arrests that saw Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and Billups detained.
Rozier appeared in federal court in Orlando, Florida on Thursday afternoon. He was seen leaving the courthouse through a side door, having been released from custody following his arraignment.
A few hours later, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey was seen outside a courthouse in Portland, Oregon. Both men face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges.
The poker ring is allegedly tied to the Gambino, Bonanno and Genovese crime families, and saw rigged games take place in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Las Vegas.
It is alleged that New York's notorious crime families would use X-ray tables to tilt games in their favor and wear special high-tech contact lenses to read pre-marked cards.
Chauncey Billups was pictured leaving court after he was arrested as part of a FBI investigation
Billups - who wore a brown hoodie - did not enter a plea during the hearing in Portland, Oregon
According to KGW and NBC, Billups - who wore a brown hoodie - did not enter a plea and was released on certain conditions. They include restrictions on travel and no gambling activity.
Chris Heywood, an attorney for Billups, told ESPN on Thursday night that his client is a 'man of integrity' who intends to fight the allegations against him.
'Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,' Heywood said.
'To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.'
Later on Thursday, former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones left a federal courthouse in Las Vegas. Jones, 49, is alleged to have been involved in the two separate, but related, illegal betting operations and was arrested following a federal indictment.
He is alleged to have provided inside information about NBA games to co-defendants who are said to have used it to place sports bets.
Jones was also named among 31 individuals allegedly involved in the illegal poker ring - which used NBA stars as 'face cards' to allegedly lure victims to the table.
He played for 10 NBA teams over an 11-year career from 1998 to 2009 and was a Cavaliers assistant from 2016 to 2018.
See below for more coverage of this story...
00:42
Shaquille O'Neal: 'I'm ashamed'
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has weighed in on the ongoing controversy and admitted that he's 'ashamed' of his basketball peers for their alleged involvement.
Speaking on 'Inside the NBA', he said: 'I know Chauncey and I know Damon [Jones] very well [and] I'm ashamed that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy.
'If you're making $9million and you're also dealing in other things... how much more do you need? Especially if you know that, if you get caught you could do jail time, lose your career [and] put a bad image on yourself, your family and the NBA.
'They dropped the ball. You never want to have your name involved in that when you know the letter of the law'.
23:59
Damon Jones seen leaving court
Former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones has been pictured leaving a federal courthouse in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon.
Jones, 49, is alleged to have been involved in two separate, but related, illegal betting operations and was arrested following a federal indictment.
Jones is alleged to have provided inside information about NBA games to co-defendants who are said to have used it to place sports bets.
He was also named among 31 individuals allegedly involved in an illegal poker ring - which used NBA stars as 'face cards' to allegedly lure victims to the table.
He played for 10 NBA teams over an 11-year career from 1998 to 2009 and was a Cavaliers assistant from 2016 to 2018.
23:16
Billups leaves court following hearing
Chauncey Billups was seen walking out of a federal courthouse in Portland on Thursday after his initial hearing into a Mafia-led gambling ring.
The Trail Blazers coach, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year, was arrested in relation to an illegal poker operation.
The poker ring is allegedly tied to the Gambino, Bonanno and Genovese crime families, and saw rigged games take place in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Las Vegas.
It is alleged that New York's notorious crime families would use X-ray tables to tilt games in their favor and wear special high-tech contact lenses to read pre-marked cards.
According to KGW and NBC, Billups - who wore a brown hoodie - did not enter a plea and was released on certain conditions. They include restrictions on travel and no gambling activity.
22:50
Breaking:Billups 'leaked insider info' about his team
Federal court documents allege that Chauncey Billups informed gamblers his Portland Trail Blazers team were planning to tank a game.
Billups was among 34 people arrested as part of an FBI probe into Mafia-led gambling rackets.
In a separate indictment, unsealed on Thursday, Billups is not charged. But he appears to be identified as 'Co-Conspirator 8', who is described as an NBA player who played from 1997 to 2014 and went on to become a coach in 2021.
Billups was hired as head coach of the Trail Blazers in 2001 after an NBA career that began in 1997 and ran through 2014.
It's claimed the 49-year-old allegedly tipped off betters that the Trail Blazers' best player - believed to be Damian Lillard - wouldn't play against the Chicago Bills in March 2023.
The idea, as reported by the New York Post, was that the gamblers could place bets and win big. Lillard didn't feature in the game and Portland lost.
22:15
NBA star Terry Rozier is released from custody after court appearance
Miami Heat star Terry Rozier has been pictured leaving court in a hoodie and colorful shorts after being arrested as part of the FBI investigation.
He was seen leaving the federal courthouse in Orlando, Florida, through a side door following his arraignment.
The 31-year-old wore black and red sneakers, multi-colored shorts and a black Hornets hoodie as he climbed into the back of a black car. His mother - Gina Tucker - and attorney - James Trusty - were also seen at the courthouse.
According to NBC, a judge denied prosecutors' request to set a $10million bond, with the NBA star instead required to put up only his $6m Florida home as collateral.
He must also surrender his passport by Friday afternoon, reports claim, while the judge ordered Rozier not to gamble either in person on online. He is due back in court in Brooklyn in December.
The NBA was plunged into chaos two days into the new season after the Feds launched a series of overnight raids that saw Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups detained.
22:00
Rozier's former teammate mocks arrest
Terry Rozier's former teammate, and current Utah Jazz player, Kevin Love posted a photo mocking his arrest.
Love edited the faces of Rozier and Portland Trailblazer's head coach Chauncey Billups on to the infamous Coldplay CEO cheating scandal image.
He captioned the post, 'No (Draft) Kings!!!'
21:45
Massive salaries made by Billups, Rozier and Jones revealed
Chauncey Billups earned over $106M on the court in 17 NBA seasons, according to salary review outlet Spotrac.
He reportedly making around $4.75M per year as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Terry Rozier had earned over $133M in his 10-year NBA career, and is under a $26.6M contract with the Miami Heat.
According to Basketball Reference, former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones, who spent the majority of his time in the NBA as a backup, made $21,738,907 over his 11 years in the league.
The alleged scheme is said to have lured victims into rigged poker games, which took place in the Hamptons, Miami, Las Vegas and Manhattan, by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes.
The breathtaking methods the Mafia allegedly used to rig poker games and take millions of dollars from unsuspecting players have been exposed, according to the US government.
21:15
Stephen A Smith claims NBA investigation was fueled by Trump
Stephen A. Smith has sparked fury by claiming the FBI's explosive NBA investigation into Mafia-led illegal sports betting and rigged poker games is politically motivated and backed by Donald Trump.
The left-leaning TV host, who voted for Kamala Harris and has flirted with running for president in 2028, said: 'How many times, with one incident after another, have I said Trump is coming. He's coming.
Speaking on First Take on ESPN while the explosive press conference involving FBI Director Kash Patel took place, Smith claimed the investigation was fueled by Trump and his thirst for revenge.
21:00
ESPN called out for displaying betting ad during NBA gambling scandal discussion
Viewers quickly pointed out that ESPN was displaying a sports betting promo on air while discussing the the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA this morning.
'This is pretty funny, an ESPN Bet promo is on the screen while ESPN discusses the NBA sports gambling scandal,' one person said.
'Classic ESPN Bet, read the room!' said another.'
20:45
Lakers coach says there have been meetings on anti-gambling rules
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick confirmed he has been to at least two meetings about the NBA's anti-gambling rules.
'We've had two meetings on it already. It’s obviously at the front of everyone’s awareness given the last two years,' he said.
