NBA Illegal Gambling Arrests…

[johnson86-1]

Since they won’t let Rose in the Hall of Fame for gambling, do they take Billups out for gamblin’?

Is chauncey Billups in the hall of fame? I know he was good, but I would have always thought of him as belonging in the Hall of Very Good, not the hall of fame.

ETA: Looked it up. 15.2 ppg and 5.4 apg averages over his career. Not sure how to judge that. High points for a PG, high assists for a SG, and he basically was a combo guard. Still seems very good to me, but he did do that over a long career (17 years), so I can see that being Hall of Fame worthy. But I also saw that Tony kukoc and Vlade Divac were both in the hall of fame? Divac didn't surprise me that much, I remember him being good for the lakers and kings for a long time, but was Kukoc that good? Do I misremember how good some of these players were? Or is the NBA Hall of Fame in fact the Hall of Very Good?

 

[Faustdog]

This is absolutely wild stuff. The Gambino and Bonanno families had Billups and Jones recruit other high profile and wealthy individuals to the poker games. Card decks with the ability to read cards and transmit information on who had the strongest hand were used at these games. The person receiving the information then relayed it to the appropriate players at the table.

The profits were split with Billups and Jones.

Also, it will be really interesting to see if we get to find out who the unnamed "Player 3" is in the indictment. This person is a "prominent NBA player" who provided injury information regarding LeBron James to Damon Jones. It does not say if it is LeBron James.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/nyregion/illegal-poker-games.html?smid=url-share

 

[HailStout]

This is absolutely wild stuff. The Gambino and Bonanno families had Billups and Jones recruit other high profile and wealthy individuals to the poker games. Card decks with the ability to read cards and transmit information on who had the strongest hand were used at these games. The person receiving the information then relayed it to the appropriate players at the table.

The profits were split with Billups and Jones.

Also, it will be really interesting to see if we get to find out who the unnamed "Player 3" is in the indictment. This person is a "prominent NBA player" who provided injury information regarding LeBron James to Damon Jones. It does not say if it is LeBron James.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/nyregion/illegal-poker-games.html?smid=url-share

LeBron james is worth over a billion dollars and seems to be a good husband and father. I don’t care for the guy, but he seems decently business savvy and doesn’t appear to be an idiot. I doubt he is risking his career and his family’s future on something this stupid.

also, the internet will break if I am wrong

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

Been googling his daughter a little too much**

I'm going to ask - is it possible to Google her too much? No sarcastericks.

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

There have been credible rumors for years about high stakes illegal poker games in several major cities (especially NYC, L.A. Miami) with high-end escorts & drugs, so it isn't a reach to think the mafia in involved.

There was sa movie out a few years ago about this and the people in it were supposed to be anonymous, but they kept mentioning a whale. Supposedly the whale was Tobey Maguire.

 

[Colonel Angus.sixpack]

There was sa movie out a few years ago about this and the people in it were supposed to be anonymous, but they kept mentioning a whale. Supposedly the whale was Tobey Maguire.

I think that was a different underground game and Tobey was allegedly a notorious dickhead at those games so if anyone deserved being stolen from it was him, if true.

 

[thatsbaseball]

The allegations against Billups aren’t related to basketball. He’s involved in an illegal poker game

FBI be like.....

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

LeBron james is worth over a billion dollars and seems to be a good husband and father. I don’t care for the guy, but he seems decently business savvy and doesn’t appear to be an idiot. I doubt he is risking his career and his family’s future on something this stupid.

also, the internet will break if I am wrong

Apparently he isn’t worth that much because he said about a month ago he doesn’t have much money.

 

[HailStout]

Apparently he isn’t worth that much because he said about a month ago he doesn’t have much money.

Perfect example of why I don’t care for the guy

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

The allegations against Billups aren’t related to basketball. He’s involved in an illegal poker game

Yes, but Rozier had nothing to do with poker. It's not technically point shaving but it affected the final score and outcome of the game. Now, he's going to lose not only what he has left of his career but also a large chunk of is fortune (if not all of it). What a dumbass. He's done.

 

[boatsandhoes]

betcha there is this kinda thing going on in the NFL. someone had money and influence on the chiefs among others, it changes over time who the preferred is. Same for SEC and bama.

 

[Maroon13]

This is all about getting to the mafia. The fbi wants the mafia. The nba players will take a plea deal and provide and testimony for the Government.

 

[GloryDawg]

That was a very good racket. A lot of money made but like all enterprises things eventually come to an end.

 

[POTUS]

Is chauncey Billups in the hall of fame? I know he was good, but I would have always thought of him as belonging in the Hall of Very Good, not the hall of fame.

ETA: Looked it up. 15.2 ppg and 5.4 apg averages over his career. Not sure how to judge that. High points for a PG, high assists for a SG, and he basically was a combo guard. Still seems very good to me, but he did do that over a long career (17 years), so I can see that being Hall of Fame worthy. But I also saw that Tony kukoc and Vlade Divac were both in the hall of fame? Divac didn't surprise me that much, I remember him being good for the lakers and kings for a long time, but was Kukoc that good? Do I misremember how good some of these players were? Or is the NBA Hall of Fame in fact the Hall of Very Good?

The Basketball HOF has a notoriously low threshold.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

The Basketball HOF has a notoriously low threshold.

Yep. Basically if you’re a good player you make it. NFL isn’t far behind. MLB by far is the most anal about who makes it.

 

[HailStout]

This is all about getting to the mafia. The fbi wants the mafia. The nba players will take a plea deal and provide and testimony for the Government.

From everything I have learned watching mafia movies, snitching on the mob always works out well for the snitch

 

[mstateglfr]

Apparently he isn’t worth that much because he said about a month ago he doesn’t have much money.

The guy was obviously being sarcastic/flippant/joking.

"I am free for me. Everything. Everything I got on [is] free…. I’m telling you,” said LeBron.

“I ain’t got no money, man. My kids got all the money now. NILs (name, image and likeness rights) and s**t. They got all the money. They take care of Dad now. I’m broke," he added.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

The guy was obviously being sarcastic/flippant/joking.

"I am free for me. Everything. Everything I got on [is] free…. I’m telling you,” said LeBron.

“I ain’t got no money, man. My kids got all the money now. NILs (name, image and likeness rights) and s**t. They got all the money. They take care of Dad now. I’m broke," he added.

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[mstateglfr]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Figured you would have said that he joked he didnt have much money, if you knew he was joking.

My bad though.