Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal weighed in on the NBA betting scandal during “Inside the NBA” on Thursday night, and neither Hall of Fame player minced words. Several people connected to the NBA were arrested on Thursday morning as part of an FBI investigation into multiple illegal gambling rings. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is facing charges related to rigged high-stakes poker games that were organized with the help of Mafia crime families. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested for his alleged involvement in “a scheme to defraud by betting on inside, non-public information about NBA athletes and teams” between December 2022 and December 2024. Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones has been charged in both cases. The “Inside the NBA” crew, now on ESPN, discussed the situation prior to tip-off of the network’s coverage of the Denver Nuggets-Golden State Warriors game. Kenny Smith spoke about how gambling addiction can cause people to make “illogical decisions.
