The National Basketball Association (NBA) has expanded its investigation into alleged illegal gambling throughout the league, asking multiple teams to turn over documents and devices, according to a report.
The Athletic, the sports imprint of The New York Times, cited half a dozen league sources that said the NBA is trying to find new information to provide to investigators as Congress increases scrutiny following the bombshell revelation of an extensive mafia-backed gambling conspiracy.
Why It Matters
Federal authorities in October revealed a criminal case linking multiple NBA figures to four organized crime families in a years-long conspiracy involving illegal gambling and fraud.
Authorities arrested more than 30 individuals across 11 states in connection with the case, charging them variously with wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, and illegal gambling that involved tens of millions of dollars.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the operation “mind-boggling” in its scope, and the NBA in a statement said it treated the allegations, which involved current and former players -including the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups – “with the utmost seriousness.”
What To Know
In a statement provided to The Athletic on Saturday, the NBA revealed it has engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations. As part of the investigation, the league is asking for a number of documents and records, including cell phones and phone records.
Chief among those targeted in this request are employees of the Los Angeles Lakers, with at least 10 employees asked to turn over their personal equipment and records, including assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, both of whom have voluntarily cooperated with the request.
The connection is especially important given the arrest of Damon Jones, a former NBA player and coach to LeBron James. Jones pled not guilty to the charges, which include accusations of selling injury information to gamblers.
The Orland Magic and Portland Trail Blazers were also noted as being of interest, though investigators did not reach out to the Magic as the player allegedly involved in the scheme has left their roster.
The league is also looking at making substantial changes to team rules for reporting injury status for players in order to prevent similar instances in the future.
What People Are Saying
The NBA in a statement to The Athletic: “The NBA engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public. As is standard in these kinds of investigations, a number of different individuals and organizations were asked to preserve documents and records. Everyone has been fully cooperative.”
In a previous statement to Newsweek, Terry Rozier’s lawyer Jim Trusty said, in part: “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. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender, they opted for a photo op,” adding, “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.”
What Happens Next
The NBA and federal authorities will continue to investigate the alleged ties between the mafia and the league, with an eye towards fully outlining the scope and depth of the operation.