The Portland Trail Blazers coach, Chauncey Billups, was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 23, as part of federal gambling investigations, according to FBI director Kash Patel.
‘Beginning as early as 2019, the defendants in this case orchestrated a large-scale operation, coordinating the use of wireless cheating technology to rig poker games across the United States, including in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. The scheme specifically targeted victims, referred to as ‘fish,’ who were often enticed to participate in these rigged games by the opportunity to play alongside former professional athletes, known as ‘face cards,’ ‘ Patel said in a news conference on Thursday. ‘Among these face cards were Chauncey Billups, a former NBA player and currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Damon Jones, also a former NBA player and coach. What the victims, or ‘fish,’ did not realize was that everyone else at the poker game, from the dealer to the other players, including the face cards, was complicit in the scam.’
Who is Chauncey Billups? Blazers coach charged in FBI gambling probe
Chauncey Billups played college basketball at the University of Colorado and was selected third overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.
Over his 17-year career in the league, he also played for the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.
However, he spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons, where he won an NBA Finals championship in 2004 against the Los Angeles Lakers and was named the Finals MVP for his outstanding performance.
Billups has been the Trail Blazers’ coach since 2021 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Chauncey Billups stats for playing career
During his 17-year career, Chauncey Billups averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.9 rebounds over 1,043 games. Billups totaled 15,802 points and had shooting percentages of 41.5% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.point range.
Chauncey Billups’ coaching record
In five seasons as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Billups has coached a total of 329 games, achieving 117 wins and 212 losses since 2021.