Storm brewing?
The feds have linked Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to the betting scandal of banned NBA star Jontay Porter, and it could cause an even bigger headache for the basketball league.
allegedly manipulating “his performance”
As reportred by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, the feds have been investigating Rozier for manipulating “his performance as part of an illegal sports betting scheme.” The same day, the NBA stated it was aware of an investigation into Rozier’s alleged links to the Porter betting circle.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the league has been helping the feds with the investigation. Should the Department of Justice’s allegations have any substance, the NBA may face crticism for failing to spot the violations in its own investigation.
Game in question
On Thursday, the NBA said it had investigated “unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance” in the guard’s game as a Charlotte Hornets player against the New Orleans Pelicans in March 2023.
“The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules,” stated Bass.
The NBA was investigating shady bets placed on Rozier in Charlotte’s 115-96 loss to the Pelicans, in which the guard played ten minutes before exiting with foot soreness.
shady wagers on Rozier to underperform against the Pelicans
According to the WSJ, on game day, US Integrity picked up shady wagers on Rozier to underperform against the Pelicans. The suspicious behavior prompted the sports betting monitoring company to alert the NBA and sportsbooks, some of which later halted Rozier wagers.
Higher profile worries
While the NBA’s investigation cleared Rozier, federal allegations that bad actors linked to the Jontay Porter scandal “bet heavily against Rozier after acquiring inside information,” will, if proved, harm the NBA brand and place its investigative function under the spotlight.
Unlike Porter, however, Rozier is an NBA veteran worth almost $100m and is one of Miami Heat’s top scorers.