Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested as part of the FBI's ongoing federal gambling probe, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Billups became the second-known individual associated with the NBA to be arrested on Thursday morning. News broke earlier on Thursday that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier had also been taken into custody.
Two law enforcement sources tell NBC News' Tom Winter that the arrest is not related to games Billups coached. In addition, ABC News reported that Billups's arrest is tied to an illegal poker operation associated with the mafia.
FBI director Kash Patel led a 10 a.m. ET press conference on Thursday morning to announce the arrests, along with U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella, Jr. and other law enforcement officials.
The 49-year-old Billups was selected by the Boston Celtics with the No. 3 pick in the 1997 draft. He played for seven teams in his 17-year career, with his most notable years coming with the Detroit Pistons, where Billups won an NBA title and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2004. The five-time All-Star was also a one-time All-NBA Second Team selection and a two-time All-NBA Third-Team selection. He was also named to two NBA All-Defensive Teams as a second team selection.
Since retiring, Billups has coached both as an assistant with the L.A. Clippers and as a head coach with the Trail Blazers. Wednesday night's season opening 118-114 loss to the Timberwolves began Billups's fifth season leading Portland, where he has gone 117-212 during the franchise's rebuild with no playoff appearances.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups Arrested As Part of FBI Gambling Probe.
