Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of an FBI gambling probe, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called it a « very sad day » for sports fans.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was excited about the start of the Portland Trail Blazers new season, but just one day after the team’s opener, the team is mired in controversy following an FBI probe.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard Damon Jones, were among more than two dozen arrests as part of a widespread FBI investigation on Thursday. Billups was allegedly involved in a nationwide poker ring involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families.
Wyden, who loves the game of basketball, having played at UC Santa Barbara in the 1960s, was just as shocked as the rest of sports fans when learning the news, especially as it impacted his local team.
« I will tell you that this is a very sad day for all of us as sports fans », Wyden told reporters when asked about his thoughts on the investigation. He didn’t expand for any further comment.
Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said during the investigation announcement on Thursday that alleged schemers in the poker takedown targeted victims known as « fish » who were lured in by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes like Billups.
