Chauncey Billups had a quote this week that aged like year-old milk.
The Portland Trail Blazers head coach Billups was arrested by FBI agents Thursday on bombshell charges related to an alleged mafia-linked gambling scheme. Billups, who was arrested along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, has been hit with five conspiracy charges in relation to his supposed involvement in an illegal high-stakes poker ring spanning various locations around the United States (read the full details here).
Interestingly enough, Billups just coached the night before as the Blazers fell in their 2025-26 season opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 118-114. After the game, Billups spoke with reporters and delivered a rather unfortunate quote.
“I’ll do the best that I can, and let the chips fall where they may,” said Billups at one point.
Chauncey Billups during last night’s press conference, “let the chips fall” pic.twitter.com/blaPjGQxK9
— Flaming Hot Takes (@TheyAlreadyKnew) October 23, 2025
The full context is that Billups was asked if he felt any pressure with regard to the team’s incoming new ownership (Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reached an agreement earlier this month to purchase the Blazers from the estate of Paul G. Allen). You can see the full video (which is still live on the Blazers’ YouTube page) here. Billups’ “let the chips fall where they may” line comes at the 5:17 mark.
Of course, that now reads as a rather ill-fated comment given that Billups has since been arrested over his alleged involvement in an illegal poker ring. As a result, Billups has been placed on leave from the NBA, and former NBA center Tiago Splitter, a Blazers assistant, has been named as the team’s new interim head coach.
We also learned later in the day on Thursday that a professional poker player had given a warning about Billups’ supposedly crooked card games back in 2023.
