Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is the subject of a federal investigation. Now, authorities are investigating his role in illicit sports betting operations. The NBA just looked into Rozier for leaking proprietary information. They investigated his repeated actions, which cast a long shadow over the integrity of the game. The league didn’t find sufficient evidence that there was a violation of league rules. With the indictment coming down last week, those concerns about what’s happening below the surface have flared up again.
The state’s investigation follows complaints brought against Rozier. He was said to be cooperative with league officials, allowing them a sit down interview and turning over his phone. In spite of this collaboration, the NBA announced that it was unable to determine egregious violations. They recognized the need for “aberrational behavior” on the playing field in March of 2023, a rule that is now facing scrutiny.
According to the indictment, Rozier is accused of informing a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, about his intention to remove himself early from a game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a supposed injury. This information had reportedly been sold by Minoo to two other sports bettors for roughly $100,000. The cohort of co-conspirators had bet on at least seven NBA games. They leveraged nonpublic information for competitive matches such as the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers.
Rozier only made a cameo appearance in the contest against the Pelicans, logging just nine minutes. He finished with five points, two assists and four rebounds before heading to the locker room. Interestingly enough, most of the bets Laster and the other teachers placed with this inside info – which was illegal under state law – allegedly won. All told, the total amount wagered stretched into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Rozier was one of 34 people indicted for their participation in the protest. These prosecutions resulted from two lengthy federal investigations into unlawful sports wagering and fixed poker tournaments. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was appalled by the charges laid out by federal officials.
“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” – Adam Silver
Integrity means everything, in the league and for the fandom, Silver stressed.
“There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” – Adam Silver
He remarked that what has been most disappointing and disheartening for him.
“And so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting,” – Adam Silver
Two-and-a-half years after the original probe, Silver added that Rozier has never been charged with a crime.
“And two-and-a-half years later, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously it doesn’t look good, but he’s been put on administrative leave, and so it is a balance here between protecting people’s rights and investigating,” – Adam Silver
These allegations came to light after the irregular betting patterns were flagged by online legal sportsbooks during one game in March 2023. This sparked increased scrutiny from regulators, who have subpoena power, and can pursue these allegations further.
This reality raises troubling questions about the effects of illegal sports betting on professional sports leagues. The NBA truly does care about the integrity of its games. This incident poses a major threat to all of that progress.
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