Hours after Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a pair of sprawling federal busts, his legal team has a message.
He won’t be backing down from the fight.
Billups, a Hall of Fame player and current head coach of the Trail Blazers, was one of three people with NBA ties and 31 overall who were arrested in connection with two alleged schemes, one that involved rigged poker games and the other that included insider sports betting tips.
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Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and coach Damon Jones were also arrested as part of the bombshell cases.
Billups and Jones, federal prosecutors allege, were two of the “face cards” used in the Mafia-tied poker rigging scheme that sought to attract “fish” in order to get them to spend big money.
The ring allegedly used technology, including rigged X-ray card tables, card shufflers and special glasses and contact lenses, to cheat games.
Billups and Rozier were put on leave by the NBA.
Chris Heywood, an attorney for Billups, told ESPN through a statement that the former guard is a “man of integrity” who intends to fight the case.
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Heywood said.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardise those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
Billups was not named in the sports betting indictment, but “Co-Conspirator 8,” who allegedly passed along a tip about the Blazers resting players during a 2023 game, matched his description.
Heywood said Billups never provided inside information to others.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to.
“Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
This article first appeared in The New York Post and was reproduced with permission.
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