Billups has been arrested! A major incident in the NBA! Will this affect Yang Hansen? Definitely!

The NBA season just kicked off, and right after the Trail Blazers’ opening game, major news emerged:

Billups, Rozier, and Damon Jones were taken into custody by the FBI for alleged illegal gambling activities.

Based on multiple reports, particularly from the New York Eastern District federal enforcement and FBI Director Kash Patel’s briefing, the following details have been revealed:

1. Thirty individuals were apprehended in this crackdown.

Six of them were involved in illegal sports betting (including Rozier), while 31 defendants face accusations of using high-tech methods to steal millions from underground poker casinos (including Billups).

2. At the press conference, the FBI Director addressed the NBA gambling arrests:

“What you don’t know is that this has been an ongoing illegal gambling and sports manipulation operation spanning several years.”

3. The FBI stated that the NBA is aware of the situation and is cooperating with the investigation.

Damon Jones and Terry Rozier are accused of participating in illegal sports betting from 2022 to 2024 by providing insider NBA player and team information to aid the betting activities.

Four NBA teams were targeted in the illegal sports betting probe: the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers.

4. It is important to clarify that Billups’ alleged illegal gambling does not involve match-fixing.

It has nothing to do with the games he coached.

Officials revealed that the high-tech methods included X-ray scanning of card tables, special glasses that help see cards, and automated shuffling and dealing machines designed for manipulation.

We’ve seen these kinds of tricks in Hong Kong movies... Billups isn’t involved in match-fixing, but is he a gambling master?

5. According to Trail Blazers reporters, the formal charges against Chauncey Billups are money laundering and wire fraud.

6. The FBI announced that Billups will appear later at the federal court in Portland and will be formally charged on a future date in Brooklyn.

7. The FBI warned that as the investigation progresses, more arrests may follow.

...

We will wait and see how the situation unfolds.

After all, we don’t fully understand American law, so it’s hard to comment on many aspects.

However, one thing is certain:This is a huge scandal for the NBA and seriously damages the league’s image.

It has drawn attention from many parties, with press conferences held — this is no longer something the NBA can handle internally.

Here’s a prediction:Even if Billups doesn’t end up in jail, he will most likely lose his coaching position.

Maybe he can reach out to director Wong Jing to see if there are other roles he could take... like playing Gao Jin or something.

Keep in mind, the NBA is the most successful commercial basketball league, and the owners are extremely sensitive about this.

Getting rid of a head coach is nothing; the priority is not to disrupt everyone’s earnings.

Finally, a point many Chinese fans care about:If Billups can’t return to the Trail Blazers, how will it affect Yang Hansen?

I believe the impact will be significant.

Don’t forget, both Yang Hansen and Billups are represented by Rich Paul’s agency...

As the saying goes, a new king brings new ministers. If the head coach changes, the personnel decisions, rotation strategies, and team tactics might all shift. Yang Hansen is a rookie — will he still get prioritized development?

There’s uncertainty about whether he will lose trust and regular playing time.

Unless the Trail Blazers announce Liu Weiwei as the new coach...

He happens to be in the U.S., saving even the cost of a plane ticket.