(Los Angeles) NBA boss Adam Silver said on Friday he was “deeply disturbed” by the rigged betting scandal affecting the North American basketball league.
“There is nothing more important for the league and the fans than the integrity of the competition,” he assured during a live interview on the Prime Video platform, the NBA’s new broadcaster, the day after the arrest of a player and a coach.
On Thursday, Portland coach Chauncey Billups, Miami player Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones were arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation into a betting ring that used first-hand information from inside the locker room, or tricked players into faking injuries to influence their statistics.
After having fought sports betting for a long time, the NBA turned into a lobbyist for the liberalization of the sector, notably through the voice of its commissioner Adam Silver, author of a column in favor of “legalization” in 2014.
Mostly banned since 1992, sports betting was liberalized in 2018 in the United States following a Supreme Court decision and is now authorized in almost all states. The NBA has signed several contracts with companies in the sector.
The North American basketball league suspended a player for life last year, Jontay Porter, a member of the same network as the one targeted by the raid on Thursday.
The NBA, on the other hand, cleared Terry Rozier, who was finally arrested on Thursday and charged.
“We found nothing despite abnormal bets reported by betting companies. Terry cooperated with us, gave his phone, answered our questions, but we concluded there was insufficient evidence almost two years ago, explained Adam Silver.
“We then cooperated fully with law enforcement. The judiciary has subpoena power, can threaten prison sentences, all of these things that we cannot do. »
