Billups, who played 17 seasons in the NBA and was inducted into the Hall of Fame, is accused of participating in several of these underground poker games. “The games involved members of at least three New York mafia families,” authorities told CNN, “and Billups and Jones were allegedly paid for their participation.”
Nocella Jr. added, “The second indictment involves 31 defendants alleged to have participated in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. These defendants, who include former professional athletes, used technology to steal millions of dollars from victims.”
The NBA’s Response to the Growing Betting Scandal
The news of the arrests comes just days after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed growing concerns about betting integrity. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Silver said, “We’ve asked some of our partners to pull back some of the prop bets, especially when they’re on two-way players. It’s too easy to manipulate something that seems small but can influence the outcome.”
