After dealing with the Jontay Porter gambling case in 2024, the NBA may also now be facing another betting scandal. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is now the focus of a federal investigation for manipulating statistics during a game in March 2023, when Rozier was a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
The Wall Street Journal reported that wagering on Rozier raised alarms at U.S. Integrity, a company that monitors betting markets for suspicious activity. Federal authorities allege that the incident was part of a wider scheme to fix games that involved a ring of sports gamblers and even poker players.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
Rozier Denies Allegations
While Porter was a fringe NBA player who didn’t see much playing time, Rozier was one of the most important players during his time with the Hornets. The 30-year-old has been in the league for a decade and is currently under a four-year contract worth $96 million with the Heat.
The point guard hasn’t been charged with a crime, but the government investigation is expected to grow wider. Rozier has denied point shaving for the game in question.
“We are aware of the NBA’s 2023 investigation which determined there was absolutely no wrongdoing by Mr. Rozier and we are confident that the on-going government investigation will arrive at the exact same conclusion,” his attorney Jim Trusty said.
After U.S. Integrity notified the league and sportsbooks about unusual betting on Rozier and the player coming up short of some key statistical thresholds, such as points and rebounds, some sports betting operators stopped taking action on him for the day.
Rozier had averaged 20 points per game during his time in Charlotte, but checked out of the game early with a foot injury in the matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 23, 2023. The injury turned out to be legitimate, however, as he then missed the next eight games.
The issues underscore some challenges several leagues have faced over the last few years regarding sports betting. Porter pleaded guilty in federal court in July to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for bet fixing, which resulted in a lifetime ban by the NBA.