After the shocking NBA gambling indictments, ESPN is in a difficult situation. On Thursday morning, FBI director Kash Patel unleashed a surprise when he said that several current and former NBA stars, including Terry Rozier, were detained for their role in an illegal gambling ring and sports rigging enterprise. Meanwhile, Rozier was making headlines on Thursday after he was apprehended in a federal investigation into gambling. He was among over thirty people, including Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, that were arrested by the police on Thursday.
Awkward broadcast moment as ESPN quietly removes betting logo amid unfolding NBA gambling drama
Addressing the news, sources said that:“Individuals such as Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier were taking into custody today, former, current NBA players and coaches…this is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years.”Meanwhile, on Thursday, the news was broadcast nationally on ESPN. Because of the network’s close ties to sports betting websites, there was an awkward moment during the reporting when ESPN producers reportedly noticed that their show Get Up was reporting on arrests related to sports gambling while an advertisement for their own sports betting website, ESPN Bet, was displayed on the screen. They discreetly removed the advertisement during the report:The video of ESPN deleting the logo from its betting product was uploaded by a sports outlet on X. While an on-screen ticker advertised ESPN’s sports betting website, ESPN Bet, Mike Greenberg of ESPN spoke awkwardly about the league’s history with sports gambling.While Greenberg was on air discussing the NBA gambling arrests, the ESPN Bet ticker was gradually taken off.“Sports gambling was something that was always in the shadows. It was something leagues stayed far away from, it was something networks like ESPN would stay far away from.”
Hidden bets and secret schemes draw NBA star Terry Rozier into a web of high-stakes intrigue
Two different cases are the reason for the arrests. Insider sports betting is the subject of one case, and underground poker game rigging is the subject of another. The FBI claims that when bettors cashed in on NBA star Terry Rozier’s under, more than $200K was brought to his house.“On March 23, 2023, Rozier, while playing for the Hornets, let others close to him know that he planned to leave early with injury. Associates bet more than $200,000 on Rozier’s unders and winnings were delivered to Rozier’s home, the indictment alleges.”In order to provide information about the more than thirty arrests the FBI made in New York City, director Kash Patel held a news conference on Thursday. Patel disclosed that the two main cases for which the accused are being detained are insider sports betting and poker game rigging.In the first case, Terry Rozier, a former guard for the Hornets, gets charged. His involvement in an insider betting scam that took advantage of private information to benefit from the wagers is the subject of an investigation.According to U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, “it is one of the most egregious sports corruption schemes since only sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”Rozier was taken into custody Thursday morning in Orlando, Florida. Later in the day, he will be arraigned inside the federal courthouse in the city. The Miami Heat are the current team that the former Hornets guard plays for.He hasn’t, however, worn a Miami uniform this season. Terry Rozier started 23 of the Heat’s 64 games played last season. 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists were his averages per game. Regarding Rozier’s future with the Heat, the franchise has not yet issued a statement.Also read: NBA gambling scandal: FBI probe sends shockwaves through the league as controversy unfolds across multiple teams
