Federal prosecutors are looking into whether NBA veteran Terry Rozier changed his performance as part of an illegal sports betting operation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Rozier, currently a point guard for the Miami Heat, was playing for the Charlotte Hornets when the game in question took place on March 23, 2023.
The bets placed on Rozier for that game, a 115-96 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, raised concerns due to their unusual nature. This caught the attention of U.S. Integrity, a company that monitors betting markets for suspicious activity.
U.S. Integrity informed the NBA and sportsbooks about the odd wagers placed on Rozier’s expected stats for the game. Rozier started the game but only played 9:34 because of a foot injury and ended with five points (he averaged 21.1 points and 35.3 minutes per game that season).
Rozier, 30, has not been charged with any crimes or accused of any wrongdoing.
Rozier’s representative declined to comment to the Wall Street Journal, and the Heat referred requests for comment to the NBA.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass issued a statement saying that the league’s own investigation found no violation of its rules.
“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,” 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.”
Now in his 10th NBA season, Rozier is averaging 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 41 games (21 starts) for the Heat.
