The NBA has been shaken since Thursday morning when Shams Charania reported that the FBI arrested more than 30 people connected to illegal betting and underground poker games . The arrests are part of a multi-year federal investigation, and among those taken into custody were Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups , Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III and former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones.
Billups has been accused of using illegal technology in poker games that reportedly cost gamblers tens of millions of dollars. At the same time, Rozier is suspected of faking an injury during his time with the Charlotte Hornets , as he left the game after just 10 minutes of play with an apparent foot injury.
Jones, on the other hand, was charged with revealing insider information on players' injury statuses to facilitate betting on games involving those teams . According to the FBI, one such incident occurred on February 9, 2023, when the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena.
Former ESPN journalist Jason Whitlock believes the connection to organized crime is obvious.
"This is a league dominated by the Jews, players that are Black who think many of them, hip-hop culture, who think they are Italian mafia bosses, or Black mafia bosses. Who did LeBron James send a shoutout to when he got released from prison? It was the dude they named the TV show Black Mafia Family after. This connection is so obvious and so crystal clear, but no one wants to talk about it," Whitlock said on his YouTube channel.
It's hard to believe Whitlock's claims that LeBron James would ever get involved in such dealings, considering his estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, nor the reports suggesting that LeBron was simply showing support for a former associate, not engaging in any kind of illegal activity.
On the other hand, it's understandable why Whitlock, who previously worked within the sports media ecosystem, believes that specific figures may have shared insider information for profit while avoiding direct betting links. Still, it's clear the gambling case runs far deeper than anyone initially thought.
Evidence of this includes Jontay Porter , the brother of Michael Porter Jr. , who was suspended for five years for gambling violations, as well as Malik Beasley , another player with a multi-million-dollar contract, who was allegedly caught up in betting activities.
"We've seen Michael Porter Jr., Jontay's brother, talk about the temptations of gambling that all these athletes face. You give 19- and 20-year-olds, and now even 18-year-old college athletes, hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars and they're all sitting around fantasizing about being Big Meech."
If all of this turns out to be true, and all indications suggest it might, no one knows what the NBA will look like afterward. This could very well be the biggest scandal in league history.
Whitlock didn't stop there as he went on to accuse Stephen A. Smith and ESPN of contributing to the corruption.
"And you wonder why corruption is everywhere. You think sports don't need to be cleaned up? When you hear me talk constantly on this show about how no one cares about sports fans, there's no respect for sports fans, this is what I'm talking about. Stephen A. and ESPN don't care about the integrity of the game. They care about whether the FanDuel check is going to clear" a 58-year-old former sports columnist concluded.
One thing's for sure: the very foundations of the league have been shaken, and the consequences could be felt for years. As long as the investigation remains open, opinions will continue to fly, and the wave of negative publicity surrounding the league will be something Adam Silver will struggle to manage.
Whitlock, a former ESPN writer himself, has become one of the league's fiercest critics and hasn't held back in the slightest. In the coming days, this case is expected to escalate even further.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
