Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested amid a federal investigation concerning sports betting, as confirmed by a representative for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn. Reports indicate that a total of 31 individuals are facing charges.

FBI Director Kash Patel along with other law enforcement officials are slated to disclose additional information at a scheduled news conference in New York.

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Billups, a former player for the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and LA Clippers, won the Joe Dumars Trophy, which is the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.

At 49 years of age, Billups is currently in his fifth season as the head coach of the Trail Blazers, with a record of 117 wins and 212 losses.

He had a distinguished playing career that included five All-Star selections and a championship victory with Detroit in 2004. Billups was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year.

The terms of Billups’ coaching deal with the Blazers were not disclosed upon its announcement in April, and the team hasn’t made the playoffs in four consecutive years under his leadership.

“The core of Chauncey’s leadership is his ability to build a collaborative culture and growth mindset for our young team,” stated Blazers chair Jody Allen at that time.

“There’s great potential here. I’m excited about it,” remarked Billups.

Social media posts from March 23, 2023, illustrate that certain bettors were outraged at sportsbooks that night, suspecting foul play due to Rozier’s premature absence from the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, which impacted prop bets related to his performance that evening.

A prop bet allows enthusiasts to wager on whether a player will exceed certain statistical milestones, such as points, rebounds, or assists.

The NBA has expressed concerns about the validity of prop bets amidst fears of manipulation, and this has led to adverse reactions towards athletes from both fans in arenas and online.

The specific charges against Rozier remain undisclosed, with law enforcement officials set to update the public at a news conference in Brooklyn.

This investigation follows a similar case handled by the same U.S. Attorney’s Office against former NBA player Jontay Porter, who is facing sentencing on December 10. Porter had previously admitted to charges linked to withdrawing early from games under the pretense of illness or injury, allowing bettors to capitalize on his underperformance through prop bets.

On Thursday morning, lawyers representing Rozier and Billups were sought for comment.

Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, stated that Rozier met with NBA and FBI officials in 2023 and was informed that the initial investigation indicated he had done nothing wrong, according to ESPN.

Rozier was dressed for the game against the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday but did not participate and was arrested later that evening. The team has yet to comment on the incident.