More than 30 players and coaches of the American Professional Basketball League (NBA) are currently facing investigation and prosecution by law enforcement agencies for alleged involvement in illegal gambling.
According to the New York Times, a large-scale investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that there were two categories of illegal gambling in the NBA, one of which was to “fake the ball” and to sell the inside information of the team, helping themselves to bet profits in gambling by manipulating the game, and the other was to conspire with gangs to steal money from underground casinos using high-tech tools.
The most eye-catching of the first type of illegal behavior is the "leakage of James game information". Retired player Damon Jones used his identity as a Lakers assistant assistant to long-term sell the injury information, appearances and absences of the team's star LeBron James to others for profit. In addition, players Rozier and Jotay Porter "played match-fixing" in the games they played, withdrawing from the game under excuses such as injury or deliberately performing poorly at critical moments, so that they and their partners could benefit from gambling.
The representative of the second category of cases was Portland Pioneer team head coach Billups.The FBI investigation revealed that Billups was suspected of joining the multinational gang of "Celebrity Gambling", he used his identity to attract others to gamble, and then set up hidden cameras and other devices in the casino to cheat.
According to the Guardian, four of the alleged “New York Five Large Families” gangs have been involved in a gambling conspiracy with Billups, the gang has rebuilt a huge and complex criminal network through violent collection, money laundering, and empty-shell company transfers, according to the FBI’s initial estimate that the gambling agency cheated at least $7 million, with one victim being cheated for as much as $1.8 million.
According to reports, the NBA has now issued a notice announcing that Billups and others have been dismissed and said they will face the findings with the most seriousness. It is worth mentioning that Billups also hosted the first game of Chinese player Yang Longsen in the NBA on the morning of his arrest. There are media reports that Billups' arrest could have an impact on Yang Longsen's further development.