Author Topic: NBA 2025-26 (Read 371 times)

imref · « **on:** June 25, 2025, 11:57:18 am »

Tingus Pingus to Atlanta

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45577808/celtics-send-porzingis-hawks-3-team-deal

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2025, 10:03:30 am »

So, 3 guys on the Yale team that beat Auburn in a 4 vs 13 matchup in the 2024 NCAA tournament are getting shots at the NBA for next season. In addition to Danny Wolf, 27th pick who had transferred to Michigan last year, Bez Mbeng of Potomac is getting a summer league shot with the Warriors and John Poulakidas, who lit up Auburn, is getting the same deal with the Clippers. I think Mbeng has the potential to get a long look because of his D and ball handling with just enough shooting. He's big enough to cover tall wings and point guards. I think Poulakidas might develop into 3 point wing off the bench as his step back shot is tough to slack off of on D, but I'm thinking he'll need a year or two in the development league or maybe Europe to see if the rest of his game is pro-level. Reminds me a little of Sam Houser, but probably less quickness and explosiveness (and that's probably the first time you've heard quick and explosive used with Sam Houser).

imref · « **Reply #2 on:** June 29, 2025, 05:58:55 pm »

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45608949/sources-pistons-malik-beasley-subject-federal-gambling-probe

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2025, 09:19:26 am »

Celtics are in a full drive to get below luxury tax. In addition to dealing Porzingas and Holliday, they were unable to re-sign Kornet and are about to lose Horford to the Lakers. The goal is to position the team to spend like crazy in 2 years after Tatum is back and Tatum and Brown are young enough for another run.

imref · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2025, 09:27:57 am »

Pretty shocking to see the Bucks release Lillard. Reports are that they are going all in this year to try and win one more before Giannis declines.

Really rough few weeks for Indiana.

imref · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2025, 12:49:49 am »

Bradley Beal heading to the Clippers.

imref · « **Reply #6 on:** October 22, 2025, 10:34:05 pm »

Wemby is unreal.

imref · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2025, 08:40:07 am »

Massive gambling scandal breaking. Chauncey Billups (Portland’s coach) has been arrested. Miami’s Terry Rozier has also been arrested.

imref · « **Reply #8 on:** October 23, 2025, 10:23:05 am »

The Wemby highlight real was something last night. 7'5" and plays like LeBron. Just made everyone around him look like amateurs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46693030/victor-wembanyama-returns-40-point-showing-spurs-win

imref · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2025, 10:59:32 am »

During this morning's press conference, an FBI spokesman said the gambling case involves "the Toronto Rangers".

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2025, 11:02:41 am »

Billups & Rozier: Former Celtics point guards.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2025, 12:40:09 pm »

The Billups case sounds like the Gilbert Arenas case

The Rozier incident is from a 23-24 season game. Unusual bets on the unders on his stats. And then he left the game early with injury. Hmmmm.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2025, 01:02:01 pm »

It's interesting to see 4 nyc families cooperate in one venture. Bonnano, Lucchese, Gambino, and Genovese.

imref · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2025, 01:43:39 pm »

This is from Joe Pompliano. This was a huge case:

Quote

1. Current and former NBA players and coaches Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones have been arrested.

2. This was an illegal gambling and sports rigging operation that spanned years across 11 states. In total, 30 individuals have been arrested (13 mafia members).

3. The case involves La Cosa Nostra (the Italian mafia).

4. Charges include illegal gambling, wire fraud, and extortion.

5. There are two separate indictments. The first involves six defendants accused of participating in a sports corruption scheme that exploited insider information involving NBA players and teams. The defendants leveraged their connections to place prop bets based on confidential insider information, winning tens of thousands of dollars per bet.

The second indictment involves 31 defendants charged with participating in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. The FBI says they used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed.

6. The two cases are separate, but there are three overlapping defendants, including former NBA player and coach Damon Jones.

7. The FBI says that NBA player Terry Rozier told the defendants that he was going to leave a game early on March 23, 2023, with an injury. The defendants then placed more than $200,000 of wagers on the unders for his prop bets, with Rozier leaving the game after nine minutes. Those bets paid out tens of thousands of dollars in profits, and the defendants and Rozier counted the money at his house.

8 The FBI says that former Raptors player Jontay Porter was threatened to participate in the sports gambling scheme because of his gambling debts.

9. Teams that were bet on during the sports gambling scheme include the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Toronto Raptors.

10. The rigged poker games occurred in the Hamptons, Miami, Las Vegas, and Manhattan.

11. The poker scheme targeted victims who were lured to participate in rigged poker games by the chance to play alongside former professional athletes. These athletes included Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.

12. The FBI says that the defendants utilized altered shuffling machines to read the cards in the deck and then relayed that information to an off-site operator. The offsite operator — known as the "quarterback" — then sent that information to someone at the table.

13. The FBI also says that the defendants utilized other cheating technologies, including poker chip trays that read cards through hidden cameras, special contact lenses and glasses that could read marked cards, and x-ray poker tables that could read cards face down.

14. The FBI says that the defendants robbed a victim at gunpoint to acquire a rigged shuffling machine.

15. The sports gambling investigation is called "Operation Nothing But Net," while the poker investigation is called "Operation Royal Flush."

16. The FBI has been working on this investigation for four years, with victims losing at least $7 million.

17. One specific victim lost at least $1.8 million.

18. The FBI reviewed thousands of hours of video evidence and executed more than two dozen search warrants.

imref · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2025, 01:48:45 pm »

this made me laugh:

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #15 on:** October 23, 2025, 04:27:25 pm »

It’s nice to know the FBI is prioritizing protecting rich guys who lose money playing poker!

I can sleep at night now.

Count Walewski · « **Reply #16 on:** October 23, 2025, 05:06:41 pm »

In the indictment for Rozier, there are numerous references to a "Co-Conspirator 8" a former NBA player, current NBA coach, and resident of Oregon who tipped off others that certain Trail Blazer players would sit out certain games. Not sure who is but there is ample speculation on Twitter that it might be Billups.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #17 on:** October 23, 2025, 06:53:38 pm »

So are they charging Billups with any crime related to nba games?

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #18 on:** October 23, 2025, 07:05:18 pm »

The more interesting case of me is Damon Jones. Former player and coach and buddy of LeBron. I read something about him providing information to gamblers when LeBron was not officially out of games but he knew he wouldn’t play.

Count Walewski · « **Reply #19 on:** October 23, 2025, 09:12:55 pm »

Quote from: Natsinpwc on October 23, 2025, 06:53:38 pm

So are they charging Billups with any crime related to nba games?

I went to too highly ranked of a law school to actually know anything about criminal procedure but my understanding is that it's common for the initial indictment to only allege a subset of the crimes that the person will eventually be charged with. I've heard people speculate that what the feds are trying to do here is make Billups understand that they have way more dirt on him in the hope he cuts a deal and testifies against his co-conspirators.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #20 on:** October 24, 2025, 08:55:52 am »

Agent Zero!

https://amp.awfulannouncing.com/nba/gilbert-arenas-fuels-belief-snitched-chauncey-billups.html

imref · « **Reply #21 on:** October 29, 2025, 09:22:10 am »

New rule: dribbling is optional: https://x.com/JoshReynolds24/status/1983340842992714122

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #22 on:** October 29, 2025, 10:36:54 am »

The old dozen step layup

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #23 on:** November 11, 2025, 08:30:34 pm »

So I'm watching the 76ers on NBC right now. They were supposed to be playing the Celtics, but the other team has no green on their uniforms so they can't be the Celtics.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #24 on:** November 11, 2025, 09:01:17 pm »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on November 11, 2025, 08:30:34 pm

So I'm watching the 76ers on NBC right now. They were supposed to be playing the Celtics, but the other team has no green on their uniforms so they can't be the Celtics.

Probably better than they don’t silly classic uniforms which whatever this year’s team is. Grousbeck‘s timing was pretty perfect in retrospect