Shaquille O’Neal Responds to NBA Gambling Arrests

Shaquille O’Neal is appalled by the recent revelations about the NBA.

The four-time NBA champion said Thursday that he was “embarrassed” that several coaches and players allegedly had a hand in illegal sports betting as well as allegedly changing the game with fixed gambling schemes. So far, Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier have been taken into custody for their alleged roles in the illegal gambling incident along with 30 others.

“It’s a shame that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy,” O’Neal told Inside the NBA.

Billups, who is the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and former Cleveland Cavaliers star Damon Jones are accused of helping mob members swindle money from wealthy people in high-stakes poker games by rigging them in favor of mob members. The indictment alleges that Billups and other former professional athletes would receive a share of the winnings because their role was to act as “face cards” for the interests of the victims.

As for Rozier, who is currently the point guard of the Miami Heat, he is accused of providing information to accomplices about an injury he suffered in a game in March 2023. This allowed accomplices to bet on his performance since the athlete left the game before it was over.

“There’s an old saying in the hood,” O’Neill said. “‘All money is not good money.’ So if you’re making $9 million and you’re doing certain things — like, how much more do you need? Especially if you know if you get caught, you can get jail time. Lose your career. Put a bad image on yourself or your family. Or in the NBA”.

“They dropped the ball,” he said.

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In a statement, the NBA placed Rozier and Billups on leave. Jones is not employed by the league. The NBA is cooperating with authorities while this investigation is ongoing. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, shared his first reactions on the news during the Boston Celtics-New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Friday (October 24).

“My first reaction was that I was deeply disturbed,” Silver told Amazon Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth. “There is nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition, so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”