Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty in Illegal Gambling Case
Portland Trail Blazers coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of profiting from rigged poker games, which involved Mafia figures and another former NBA player.
The five-time All-Star, who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was processed in a federal court in New York City on charges of conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, both with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Some of Billups’ co-defendants are also accused of running an illegal gambling business and participating in an extortion conspiracy.
Billups appeared in a dark gray suit during Monday’s brief arraignment and only spoke to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions.
In a bail hearing held later on Monday morning, the judge released Billups on a $5 million bail. The NBA Hall of Famer used his home in Colorado as collateral and his daughter Cydney, the team and player services manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves, signed the bail as guarantor.
Both he and his lawyer Marc Mukasey declined to comment as they left the courthouse.
Billups was possibly the most prominent name among the more than 30 defendants in last month’s extensive federal raid against illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports. The other defendants were also expected to appear in Brooklyn court for Monday’s proceedings.
Prosecutors say the 49-year-old Denver native, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year, was involved in a scheme to fix illegal poker games backed by the Mafia in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami, and the Hamptons.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also caught in that alleged scheme, which prosecutors say used a series of sophisticated technology that allowed for the rigging of bets, such as altered card shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses, and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read the cards.
Jones was also charged along with Terry Rozier, Miami Heat guard, in a separate scheme at the same time that allowed bettors to exploit insider information about players to win bets on NBA games.
Prosecutors say the poker scheme Billups was involved in defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million starting in at least 2019.
They say he acted as a celebrity “face” who could lure wealthy and unsuspecting players to the games. Prosecutors said that during a game, the scheme’s organizers exchanged messages saying that one of the victims “acted as if he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “dazzled”.
Prosecutors say Billups, who earned around $106 million during his playing days, received a portion of the illicitly obtained profits. After a fixed game in October 2020, for example, they say he was directly transferred $50,000.
The scheme organizers also had to share a portion of their profits with the Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno crime families for operating within the illegal poker games run by New York crime enterprises, prosecutors said.
The Mafia members, in turn, helped commit violent acts, including assaults, extortion, and robbery, to secure debt payments and the continued success of the operation, they said.
Billups was selected as the third pick in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics after excelling in college with the Colorado Buffaloes. He played 17 years in the NBA, with stints with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers.
But perhaps he is more beloved in the Motor City, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his ability to make clutch shots.
Billups was named Finals MVP during the Pistons’ title run in 2004 and the team retired his number 1 jersey.
After retiring in 2014, Billups embarked on a career as a television analyst before moving on to coaching.
He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.
After his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter as interim coach.
As part of his bail agreement, Billups can travel to certain states, but he had to surrender his passport.
The 31 defendants in the gambling cases must return to court on March 4 for an update on the case’s status.
United States District Judge Ramón Reyes said he expected to begin the trial in September 2026.
