Adam Silver is in damage control mode as the NBA navigates its latest betting scandal centered around Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier.
Rozier was among several figures arrested by the FBI on Thursday morning over their involvement in various illegal gambling operations. Rozier was accused of manipulating his performance during a March 23, 2023, game to ensure that his individual under prop bets cashed.
News of an investigation into Rozier was first reported in January, with the NBA working alongside federal investigators to look into potentially illegal activity. In June, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the NBA had cleared Rozier of any wrongdoing. A later report ran counter to Charania’s, stating that a federal investigation into Rozier was still ongoing.
While attending a New York Knicks-Boston Celtics game Friday at Madison Square Garden, Silver was asked about the league’s previous decision to clear Rozier amid the arrest news.
“We worked directly with the law enforcement, as they said at their press conference, that the league has been cooperating,” said Silver. “That was obviously over two years ago. The federal government has subpoena power, can threaten to put people in jail, can do all kinds of things that a league office can’t do. We’ve been working with them since then.
“Of course, what they announced yesterday was an indictment. Two and a half years later, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating. Like I said, we’ve been working with the government, and they have extraordinary powers that the league doesn’t have.”
Adam Silver to @CassidyHubbarth on why NBA did not find what FBI found on Terry Rozier: "We ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence," but then cooperated with the feds who "have subpoena power…extraordinary powers the league doesn't have" pic.twitter.com/iYBEP3ClID
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 25, 2025
There’s definitely truth to Silver’s claims that federal agents have powers that NBA investigators do not have. An NBA player or his immediate circle has more reasons to cooperate with the FBI, for fear of legal backlash rather than a relative slap on the wrist from Silver’s office.
But at the same time, Rozier being cleared would be the most favorable outcome for Silver and the NBA. Players potentially manipulating results for the sake of sports betting tarnishes the league’s reputation and hurts the integrity of the game. There’s a conflict of interest that could have played a factor in the league and the FBI coming up with different results.
