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Three active athletes face charges related to illegal sports betting, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were arrested in October, and Rozier allegedly intentionally withdrew from a game early, so his friends could profit from bets on his “under” fixtures.
Since then, there have been reports that the NBA is interested in eliminating “under” betting, and following the arrest of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Major League Baseball has taken steps to limit betting on specific pitches.
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Seven-time NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame during the 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)
That’s an act that Basketball Hall of Famer and Heat legend Alonzo Mourning wants the NBA to do.
“You need the front office to regulate it. I mean, all the networks are promoting gambling right now, you know? Now you get all kinds of gambling outlets across all sports. You go to different stadiums and they promote gambling during the game. So you need to let the front offices regulate this and clean it up. You know, it’s as simple as that. It’s just not fun to watch,” Mourning said in an interview with Pak Gazette Digital.
“It puts a stigma on these sports leagues. It’s something that, you know, these front offices have to clean up. So I think the NBA will do whatever it takes to clean up the image, as will baseball, as will football, whatever sport is dealing with this crisis, because it looks like the game is here to stay. I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon. Now that it’s been introduced, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”
Alonzo Mourning shoots a layup against the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 1, 2005. (Manny Millán/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
NBA LEGEND REFLECTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE GAME AND HIS CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were accused of intentionally throwing balls. Officials said in the indictment that from May 2023 to June 2025, Clase agreed with a co-conspirator to “make specific pitches in certain MLB games” so that bettors they allegedly associated with “would benefit from illegal bets placed based on that inside information.” Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
Emmanuel Clase, left, and Luis Ortiz, were indicted in a federal gambling investigation on Nov. 9, 2025. (IMAGE)
The NBA figures were among nearly 30 people charged in gambling rings that also involved the mafia, including illegal poker games.
