The NBA said it allowed Terry Rozier to continue playing after investigating whether he tampered with his plays two years ago and found insufficient evidence to warrant his removal from the court. Rozier, currently a guard with the Miami Heat, was with the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023 when questionable prop bets involving him were brought to the NBA’s attention after alarms were set off at sportsbooks.
The league interviewed Rozier and searched his cellphone before allowing him to continue playing. He has appeared in 125 games over the past two seasons. Rozier was arrested and charged with two federal charges last week. He shared information with a friend that he would be out of the game early, and he sold that information to a syndicate of sports bettors.
The NBA has technically never approved Rozier, according to spokesman Mike Bass. Rozier denied the allegations through his lawyer.
“At this time, we did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that Rozier had violated league rules,” Bass told The Athletic. “As is common with NBA investigations, this conclusion is subject to change depending on new evidence we receive.”
The fact that Rozier resumed playing in the NBA following a league investigation but was arrested by the FBI two years later raises questions about the effectiveness of future league investigations into questionable gambling activity.
Although the league has a sports gambling investigation team run by the NBA’s top lawyer and a former federal prosecutor, it lacks the investigative clout of law enforcement. The NBA shared its findings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which secured the indictment this month.
“The NBA does not have the same powers or investigative resources as the federal government, including subpoena powers, law enforcement surveillance, wiretaps and search warrants to obtain information from anyone,” Bass said.
Several sportsbooks have flagged questionable prop bets on Rozier ahead of the March 23, 2023 game. Rozier exited the game after scoring five points in just 9 minutes and 34 seconds, 16 less than his season average. In total, $263,000 was bet on Rozier through individual prop bets or parlays. Rozier was under in points, assists and 3-pointers, but over in rebounds.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, says the security guard suffered actual injuries. Bass also said an MRI confirmed Rozier’s injury.
