The National Basketball Players Association ripped the NBA’s decision to put Heat guard Terry Rozier on unpaid leave after he was arrested as part of an alleged gambling scandal.
Rozier and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups — who was allegedly involved in a mafia-linked poker scheme — were both indicted by federal prosecutors last week and placed on leave by the NBA, with a report surfacing on Wednesday that neither the player nor coach would be paid during their time away.
“While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels,” a spokesperson for the players association told ESPN’s Shams Charania in a statement.
Multiple reports came out earlier in the day indicating that Billups and Rozier would not be paid while the legal situation plays out.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker game ring backed by the New York City organized crime families.
- Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
- Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
- Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
- Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
- Saul Becher — professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
- Eric “Spooky” Earnest
- Lee Fama — professional poker player
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane “Sugar” Henne
- Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen “Scruli” Hu
- Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Lanni
- John “John South” Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
- Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia “Pookie” Wei
- Julius Ziliani
Charania reported that Rozier’s paychecks will be held in escrow as the case plays out.
The Heat guard was due his first installment of his $26.6 million annual salary later this week, the Associated Press reported. The Heat are not receiving any immediate salary cap relief due to the situation.
The NBA announced it had put Rozier and Billups on “immediate leave” as the league reviewed the indictment that was unsealed by the feds last week.
“We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities,” the NBA said in a statement. “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Among the allegations, Rozier is said to have participated in the illegal sports betting scheme by utilizing insider NBA knowledge.
During a 2023 game while he was playing the Hornets, Rozier allegedly told a friend that he would take himself out early with an injury. That information allegedly was sold to bettors, who wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars on Rozier’s under props, according to the federal indictment.
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