A pair of arrests shook the NBA world on Thursday morning, with both Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier taken into custody in connection with cases related to illegal gambling, first reported by ESPN and then confirmed by CNBC. Per the publications, Chauncey was arrested in Oregon as part of an investigation into a gambling operation, and is scheduled to make initial court appearances on Thursday, although there has been no official word from his team itself.
For nearly three decades, the 49-year-old former athlete has been considered a stalwart of the NBA family, making waves all the way back in the '90s as a player before eventually taking the reins behind the scenes and now earning his keep as head coach. Read on for more you need to know about who Chauncey Billups is, his legacy in the sport, and what we know about his arrest so far…
Who is Chauncey Billups?
Chauncey's tenure with basketball began back in high school as a varsity player in Colorado, even being a four-time All-State first team pick. He played with the University of Colorado Boulder's Buffaloes as a guard, one of their top seeds throughout his college tenure. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and his jersey, No. 4, was eventually retired by the university in his honor.
In 1997, he was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics, but only played with them for one season, before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. After another single season run, he yet again was traded to the Denver Nuggets for another season, and then spent two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before finally finding a home by the 2002 season with the Detroit Pistons.
His tenure with the Pistons was the longest and most influential of his career, signing a 6-year $34 million contract with the team as their starting point guard. Chauncey was nicknamed "Mr. Big Shot" during his time with the team for his late-game shots. He was named NBA Champion in 2004, Finals MVP in 2004, a five-time NBA All-Star, and his jersey, No. 1, was eventually retired by the Pistons in his honor as well.
He won the FIBA Americas Championship gold medal in 2007, followed by the FIBA World Championship gold in 2011 in the team competitions as well. After wrapping with the Pistons in 2008, Chauncey returned to play with the Denver Nuggets for another three seasons, followed by a single season with the New York Knicks.
He played two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers before returning to the Pistons in 2013, signing a two-year contract. However, injuries caused him to miss most of the season, and the Pistons then revealed they were not picking up his team option for the second year, and in 2014, Chauncey announced his retirement from the sport after 17 years, mainly citing his health.
Later career
After retiring from basketball, Chauncey began working as a studio analyst, working most notably with both SportsCenter and NBA Countdown, both on ESPN. In 2020, he took up an offer to work as assistant coach for the Clippers. The following year, he joined the Portland Trail Blazers as their head coach, a contract that was extended just earlier this year. In 2024, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Chauncey keeps his personal life primarily out of the spotlight. Since 2001, he has been married to wife Piper Billups, and they share daughters Cydney, Ciara and Cenaiya. His younger brother Rodney played point guard for the University of Denver as well, similarly also going on to become a coach. His first cousin is running back LenDale White.
FBI arrest and other legal troubles
Chauncey was arrested on Thursday in connection with an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia. He was last seen coaching the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, where they unfortunately lost to one of his former teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves. FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to formally announce the charges in a press conference later today.
Previously, in 1997, Chauncey was involved in a sexual assault case, in which he and former Celtic Ron Mercer were accused of assaulting a woman (whose injuries confirmed her testimonies) alongwith teammate Antoine Walker's roommate in the latter's apartment. No criminal charges were filed, and the case was settled in a civil suit in 2000.