Jump to content

Hoops & Goons: FBI, NBA, College Hoops, and the Mob - Now with More Indictments


Recommended Posts

  • Laxtonto changed the title to Hoops & Goons: FBI, NBA, College Hoops, and the Mob - Now with More Indictments
Posted
13 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

 

So essentially the NBA/Sports Book system worked and flaged the player and then all of a sudden both Port and Rozier didnt play again that season? So did the NBA alert the FBI or did the NBA not say anything and swept it under the rug? Hard to know right now, but I got to admit it is probably something Silver needs to explain. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted

Pretty wild. The indictments include members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. That’s everybody in NYC except the Colombos who have everything on hold until their boss gets out of a halfway house/supervised release.

Two names stuck out to me. Ernest Airllo is basically running the Bonanno Family right now. He’s very high up, in the administration. Joseph Lanni is a Gambino captain. He’s probably going to have to eat 6-8 years in a separate racketeering case. If he can’t get the rigged poker case years to run concurrent, he could be looking at 10+ years. He’s in his 50s, so maybe he talks. 
 

I was traveling today, did anybody catch Zach Lowe? I believe his guest tied an individual to Rozier and to Billups/rigged poker games. He was named in the podcast. I just can’t remember. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted
4 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I was traveling today, did anybody catch Zach Lowe? I believe his guest tied an individual to Rozier and to Billups/rigged poker games. He was named in the podcast. I just can’t remember. 

I did - great pod.

They talked the gambling stuff in the first segment.

You'll have to listen yourself - seems like you know more than everyone else.

Posted
4 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:


 

I was traveling today, did anybody catch Zach Lowe? I believe his guest tied an individual to Rozier and to Billups/rigged poker games. He was named in the podcast. I just can’t remember. 

Eric Earnest.

 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted (edited)

Poor KG... with friends like these, you don't really need enemies... The fact that they were "buddies" all the way back to them meeting at the MacDonald All American game to KG "saving" Billups' career after being an early bust by joining the TWolves in 2000 is going to leave a mark.

 

 

Edited by Laxtonto
Posted
2 minutes ago, Kermit said:

Did this motherfucker get conned again? Please tell me he wasn’t in on the scam. 

Sounds like he was a victim and the FBI went out of their way to state he was not involved... KG needs some better people around him that aint so trusting.. . How many millions has he been scammed out of now at this point?

Posted
18 minutes ago, Laxtonto said:

Sounds like he was a victim and the FBI went out of their way to state he was not involved... KG needs some better people around him that aint so trusting.. . How many millions has he been scammed out of now at this point?

It’s a substantial amount. Dude even showed up to his financial advisors trial to support the crook when Tim Duncan sued his ass (keep in mind that the same person screwed KG too). Not my favorite person.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
21 hours ago, Degenerate Gardner said:

I am so glad not to have any interest in gambling. That shit can put people in situations where they do crazy things.

Bfd multiplicity masturbation GIF on GIFER - by Blackpick

Now do pussy...

Shitty people make bad decisions, news at the top of the hour. There are bigger scams taking place in the stock market every day, doesn't mean I'm not going to invest. 

Posted

Charles Barkley called some of these guys like Rozier stupid for betting $50k vs risking their $26m salary. What Charles doesn’t get is that it’s not about winning $50k, it’s that it’s more likely that they’re deep in debt to the bookies perhaps millions in debt. Or they’re being blackmailed for the illegal poker games. Then the bookies want inside info, faking an injury and possibly throwing a game. Most likely the last item is unlikely since the bookies know that wouldn’t be guaranteed and possibly noticed.

the millions in debt is the gambling addiction not the one off situation of giving info to the bookies. It could also be possible for someone earning $26m to be living paycheck to paycheck if not deep in legit debt much less other debt.

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted
56 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Charles Barkley called some of these guys like Rozier stupid for betting $50k vs risking their $26m salary. What Charles doesn’t get is that it’s not about winning $50k, it’s that it’s more likely that they’re deep in debt to the bookies perhaps millions in debt. Or they’re being blackmailed for the illegal poker games. Then the bookies want inside info, faking an injury and possibly throwing a game. Most likely the last item is unlikely since the bookies know that wouldn’t be guaranteed and possibly noticed.

the millions in debt is the gambling addiction not the one off situation of giving info to the bookies. It could also be possible for someone earning $26m to be living paycheck to paycheck if not deep in legit debt much less other debt.

Don't discount whores.  If you're Family Man Chauncey Billups and the mafia has been running whores for you, what do you think happens if the mafia goes public with that info?

Posted
1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Charles Barkley called some of these guys like Rozier stupid for betting $50k vs risking their $26m salary. What Charles doesn’t get is that it’s not about winning $50k, it’s that it’s more likely that they’re deep in debt to the bookies perhaps millions in debt. Or they’re being blackmailed for the illegal poker games. Then the bookies want inside info, faking an injury and possibly throwing a game. Most likely the last item is unlikely since the bookies know that wouldn’t be guaranteed and possibly noticed.

the millions in debt is the gambling addiction not the one off situation of giving info to the bookies. It could also be possible for someone earning $26m to be living paycheck to paycheck if not deep in legit debt much less other debt.

Actually, I would counter that are probably very few athletes that "get" being in debt due to gambling more than Sir Charles. Over the course of his life he was somewhat of a gambling connoisseur.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
2 hours ago, Blotto said:

Bfd multiplicity masturbation GIF on GIFER - by Blackpick

Now do pussy...

Shitty people make bad decisions, news at the top of the hour. There are bigger scams taking place in the stock market every day, doesn't mean I'm not going to invest. 

Strange to take affront to me being thankful I’m not haunted by these particular demons, but you do you.

Posted
4 hours ago, Laxtonto said:

Sounds like he was a victim and the FBI went out of their way to state he was not involved... KG needs some better people around him that aint so trusting.. . How many millions has he been scammed out of now at this point?

Oh, he has no problem ridding himself of his money all on his own too. Dude built his dogs 6-figure dog houses during his playing days (and he might still). Some people aren't built to keep their money.

Posted

Love how the NBA is keeping the discussion away from the possibility that players or coaches may have thrown games. Instead they want to focus on individual player prop bets and injury reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/nba-prop-bets-ai-rozier-billups-gambling.html

It's one thing is a player passed on some unknown info or purposefully kept their points/rebounds low but it's something else if a player/coach threw a game. It's also ridiculous to think that a coach/player would not be tempted to throw a game if they need the money. A league CANNOT have fans thinking the games are fixed.

Posted
32 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Love how the NBA is keeping the discussion away from the possibility that players or coaches may have thrown games. Instead they want to focus on individual player prop bets and injury reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/nba-prop-bets-ai-rozier-billups-gambling.html

It's one thing is a player passed on some unknown info or purposefully kept their points/rebounds low but it's something else if a player/coach threw a game. It's also ridiculous to think that a coach/player would not be tempted to throw a game if they need the money. A league CANNOT have fans thinking the games are fixed.

Continually covering up may be how the NBA gets burned down. 

Posted (edited)

The details coming out are truly incredible. Get out your popcorn! 

  • Looks like the NBA covered up Rozier (he had to sit out the season with a non-injury-okay) and didn't tell Miami, who traded for a player under FBI investigation! Then they cleared him, which makes it look even worse for them.
  • According to pro card players who declined the invite but their friends got scammed, Billlups has been a part of this scam FOR YEARS.   
  • There are still 13 unnamed conspirators. How many of them are pro athletes? 
  • The list will grow and grow as the rats try to save themselves. 
  • Adam Silver oversaw a massive cover-up and is cooked. 
  • Lebron's company, but not him, is implicated. 
  • Finally, will a different narrative be reconnected to Michael Jordan, who 'retired' for two years from basketball? Did the league have him sit out for mob participation? And why was his father murdered? Was it really just a robbery gone wrong, or did he owe mobsters a lot of money? 
Edited by TreatyOak
  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
30 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

The details coming out are truly incredible. Get out your popcorn! 

  • Looks like the NBA covered up Rozier (he had to sit out the season with a non-injury-okay) and didn't tell Miami, who traded for a player under FBI investigation! Then they cleared him, which makes it look even worse for them.
  • According to pro card players who declined the invite but their friends got scammed, Billlups has been a part of this scam FOR YEARS.   
  • There are still 13 unnamed conspirators. How many of them are pro athletes? 
  • The list will grow and grow as the rats try to save themselves. 
  • Adam Silver oversaw a massive cover-up and is cooked. 
  • Lebron's company, but not him, is implicated. 
  • Finally, will a different narrative be reconnected to Michael Jordan, who 'retired' for two years from basketball? Did the league have him sit out for mob participation? And why was his father murdered? Was it really just a robbery gone wrong, or did he owe mobsters a lot of money? 

James Jordan’s murder has always frustrated me. Robbery gone wrong. Nothing to see here. 
 

I can’t get there on a mob hit, but there are many unanswered questions. https://www.wral.com/story/22-Facts-the-Murder-of-Michael-Jordans-Dad/20237854/

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
13 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

James Jordan’s murder has always frustrated me. Robbery gone wrong. Nothing to see here. 

I can’t get there on a mob hit, but there are many unanswered questions. https://www.wral.com/story/22-Facts-the-Murder-of-Michael-Jordans-Dad/20237854/

Wait, what the heck? According to that article, Jordan's family did not report his father missing for three weeks? That seems very strange. 

Posted

I don’t understand NBA players. If they’re based in NYC, all they have to do is call any casino in Atlantic City or Connecticut and tell them they want to gamble. They’d at least send a private car, and depending on the name and credit limit they might charter a chopper. 
 

They’d play a honest game at a closely regulated casino. Nope. They’d rather play at Uncle Tony’s card game conveniently located in the attic of a deli in Greenwich Village. 
 

I guess the old adage is true. Ball players want to be gangsters. And gangsters want to ball players. I’d assume they wanted to be around wise guys. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I don’t understand NBA players. If they’re based in NYC, all they have to do is call any casino in Atlantic City or Connecticut and tell them they want to gamble. They’d at least send a private car, and depending on the name and credit limit they might charter a chopper. 
 

They’d play a honest game at a closely regulated casino. Nope. They’d rather play at Uncle Tony’s card game conveniently located in the attic of a deli in Greenwich Village. 
 

I guess the old adage is true. Ball players want to be gangsters. And gangsters want to ball players. I’d assume they wanted to be around wise guys. 

A. We're not exactly talking about rocket scientists in the room here.

 

B. The games sounded frightening. They would change the location at the last minute. Then, when you get in the room, the buy-in went from $10K and $20K, and they immediately starting threatening the suckers. Those mobsters and those NBA losers are disgusting and I hope they get sent away good. 

Posted
12 hours ago, TreatyOak said:

Wait, what the heck? According to that article, Jordan's family did not report his father missing for three weeks? That seems very strange. 

At the time, they said it wasn't uncommon for him to disappear for stretches of time. If true, maybe he liked to get away from everyone. Maybe he liked going on a multi-week bender. Maybe he liked taking off with a new, young girlfriend with some pocket money from MJ. Or maybe it was all made up to distract from something else.

To me, the wildest part of the James Jordan story was when there was testimony that one of the defendants was wearing James Jordan's pants during his trial. The accusation being that he had stolen them from James during the murder/robbery. 

Not discussed but do you know who loves this NBA story? Steve Ballmer. His story of overpaying Kawhi can be much easier swept under the rug after a "thorough" NBA investigation.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
58 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

To me, the wildest part of the James Jordan story was when there was testimony that one of the defendants was wearing James Jordan's pants during his trial. The accusation being that he had stolen them from James during the murder/robbery. 

If true, that is so insane. WTF? 

So you believe it was a 'normal' robbery gone wrong, or do you think there was something else darker, like the mob hiring two bozos to get vengeance?  

Posted
34 minutes ago, TreatyOak said:

If true, that is so insane. WTF? 

So you believe it was a 'normal' robbery gone wrong, or do you think there was something else darker, like the mob hiring two bozos to get vengeance?  

I have zero idea but would the mob really hire 2 bozos instead of just doing it themselves?

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
45 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I have zero idea but would the mob really hire 2 bozos instead of just doing it themselves?

I believe they would in a New York minute. It's not they were targeting some highly protected or competent individual. Just an older man with some issues.

Of course, I have no idea, but there are many strange issues with the story and even the NBA's behavior towards Michael Jordan. For him to voluntarily leave the sport he loved so much makes no sense, especially since he continued to practice bball daily 'til his return.  

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...