On a day where folks should be looking to the opening week of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, ‘Thursday Night Football’, a nice slate of NHL games and the start of the 2025 World Series, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones found a way to steal the sports spotlight for themselves.

In a stunning development, authorities announced that Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were among more than 30 people arrested for their involvement in fixed poker games and illegal sports gambling in an operation linked to the New York mafia.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the ring “tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.” Billups and Rozier have since been taken into custody and placed on leave by their respective teams.

According to Chad Millman, the illegal operation included X-ray machines built into the poker tables to read the cards that were face down, contact lenses/glasses to read pre-marked cards and hidden cameras in the card trays.

A video of said glasses that were worn in the illegal schemes can be seen below:

More to come.

Chauncey Billups & Terry Rozier May Have Thrown Their Careers Away

Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier (Photo via Imagn Images)
Every professional sports league has strict rules about gambling, and it’s going to be awfully difficult for Billups and Rozier to justify a second chance.

Just last year, Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors received a lifetime ban from the NBA for betting on basketball games. Consider how MLB has steadfastly refused to induct the late Pete Rose due to his involvement, refusing to honor the all-time hits leader in the Hall of Fame.

No matter how you try and slice it, Billups and Rozier ruined the integrity of the game with their involvement in the ring. Billups is a Hall of Fame player who had the chance to turn the Blazers back into a competitive team, and Rozier has been a rock-solid player over the past five years.

If this is the end for both of them on the court, it’s a darn shame it had to end this way.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.

From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.