BREAKING: FBI arrests NBA players, coach in massive gambling scandal

The FBI has indicted 34 people connected to gambling scandals taking place in the NBA. Players as well as a coach have been arrested as part of the case. Players have also been accused of altering their game of play to benefit illegal bets taking place on NBA games and other explosive accusations.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones, and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were all taken into custody as part of the case. The charges for all those involved include robbery, extortion, money laundering, wire fraud, illegal gambling, and others.

"What we're announcing today is not just another takedown. It's the result of more than two years of coordinated investigative work by the NYPD's Joint Organized Crime Task Force and the FBI. Two cases that exposed criminal networks led by 34 individuals who believed the rules did not apply to them. They hid behind layers of complexity, behind money, and behind influence, believing those things would shield them from accountability," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news conference.

"The first case, Operation Nothing But Bet, exposed a gambling ring built around professional basketball, where players and associates allegedly used inside information to manipulate prop bets on major sports betting platforms. They placed wagers on unders—on players to score less, rebound less, assist less—using information that was not yet public. In some instances, players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to make sure those bets paid out," she added.

In response to the indictements, the NBA stated, "We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority."

Tisch addressed in one instance how Rozier "allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury. Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers on his under statistics."

After just nine minutes in the game, Rozier left the game early and the players were able to generate tens of thousands of dollars in profit on their bets. "As a result of this investigation, six defendants, including Rozier, are now facing conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud," Tisch added.

"The fraud is mindboggling," FBI Director Kash Patel said while in the news conference announcing the charges. "We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in theft, in fraud, in robbery."

The FBI's NY Assistant Director said, "Victims were attracted to play alongside well-known professional athletes and coaches like Chauncey Billups only to be unknowingly deceived through rigged shuffling machines.”