A new scandal surrounds the NBA linked to match-fixing.
United States.- Terry Rozier, current player of the Miami Heat team, is being investigated by a federal prosecutor due to his possible involvement in an illegal betting scheme.
When did it happen? In 2023, when Rozier was still part of the Charlotte Hornets, specifically a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played only nine minutes, scoring five points and four rebounds, before leaving the game with a supposed injury to his right foot. After the alleged injury, Rozier did not play again that season, missing the next eight games for the Hornets.
According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. Integrity alerted sports betting houses and the National Basketball Association (NBA) about unusual bets related to Rozier's individual bets. It is important to note that the report only mentions the game from March 2023, almost a year before the Hornets traded Rozier to Miami.
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Also, the report emphasizes that Rozier's situation is linked to a broader investigation that also covers the case of Jontay Porter, player of the Toronto Raptors, who was banned for life for betting on the NBA and has already been convicted of fraud.
However, the NBA issued a statement saying: "The league conducted an investigation and found no rule violations. We have now been informed of an investigation by the Eastern District of New York's Office of Justice related to this matter, and we are cooperating with the investigation."
Several users of the Heat subreddit mocked the news. Rozier started the season as a starter, but moved to the bench by the end of November. "He plays so badly they think he's cheating," wrote anIlliterateIdiot. "It would be interesting if Charlotte knew about this at the time, but I bet they didn't," joked stilloriginal.
Some suggested that Rozier might be missing shots on purpose. His shooting percentage of 41.0 is the lowest since 2019, although it is not far from his career average, which is 42.0.
"If he thinks this is going to come out, it would explain why he's been on a bad streak," speculated RogRoz. "It's hard to play well when you're distracted thinking your contract will be voided and you could go to jail..."
Others debated about the relationship of the NBA with betting houses and the ethics of sports betting in general.
