A few weeks ago, the FBI’s probe into gambling led to the arrest of player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups, shocking the NBA world. The NBA is dealing with another gambling-related problem, decades after the Tim Donahue debacle. Both Rozier and Billups are accused of using their insider knowledge to gain a competitive edge in sports betting.
It appears that more and more players are now being exposed for doing the same thing. According to a recent article in The Athletic, an unidentified Magic player got caught up in a gambling conspiracy in 2023. The athlete shared information regarding the team’s plans to wager on Magic games when he was a starter.
According to the article:
“There were other teams mentioned in the federal charges for illegal betting activity around their games, including the Orlando Magic,” “According to the government, a ‘regularly starting player’ for the Magic told a gambler that the team planned to “tank,” or sit its starters, in an April 2023 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The gambler allegedly sold the information to other known bettors to place bets against the Magic.”
“The Magic’s statement, released when those sweeping charges were filed in October, said the player mentioned was believed to be out of the organization, and the NBA approved the team’s statement prior to its release, league sources said,”
The player in question is no longer with the team, according to the article, and the FBI did not get in touch with the Magic.
