Craig Carton is well aware of the NBA’s gambling worries.
The WFAN radio host revealed Thursday that the league recently brought him in to speak to players about the “dangers of gambling,” such as the alleged gambling and poker schemes purportedly involving Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones that shook the NBA and betting communities.
“I don’t think I have never mentioned this before but I know first hand that the NBA and the NBAPA are gravely concerned about gambling scandals like todays – They brought me in to speak at the recent rookie symposium to talk directly with every single rookie in the league to walk them through the dangers of gambling or associating with guys that are gambling,” Carton wrote on X.
“Situations like what Terry Rozier is being accused of is one of the things I talked to them about and is one of the biggest threats for pro athletes to avoid.”
Carton spoke out just hours after the FBI revealed that the trio had been arrested in connection with a sports betting and poker probe.
FBI director Kash Patel revealed that they had 30-plus arrests, which included members of four New York Mafia families — in the bombshell gambling bust.
“This is an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operation that spans the course of years,” said Patel, who said that the operation spanned 11 states.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker game ring backed by the New York City organized crime families.
- Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
- Nelson Alvarez
- Louis Apicella
- Ammar Awawdeh
- Saul Becher — professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
- Matthew Daddino
- Eric Earnest
- Lee Fama — professional poker player
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas Gelardo — aka “Tommy Juice,” reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane Henne
- Osman Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen Hu
- Damon Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Lanni
- John Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony Shnayderman
- Robert Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia Wei
- Julius Ziliani
Billups is being charged in the illegal poker scheme, having allegedly participated in rigged high-stakes card games in conjunction with the crime families.
Rozier’s charges are tied to the sports betting probe related to prop bet manipulation.
Follow noti.group’s live updates on the bombshell NBA, mafia gambling scandal
The veteran and current Miami Heat player had previously been under investigation for unusual betting activity on a March 2023 contest when he played for the Hornets.
Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, is facing charges in both the illegal poker scheme and sports betting investigation.
He allegedly tipped off a member of the betting ring to a LeBron James injury on Feb. 9, 2023, urging him to wager on the Lakers’ opponent, the Bucks, who ultimately triumphed.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
