NBA guard Terry Rozier was averaging nearly 21 points per game for the Charlotte Hornets as the 2022-23 season neared an end. But during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, he scored only 5 and played less than 10 minutes before claiming he was hurt.
The injury? It was fake and the fix was in as part of a scheme to help sports bettors, according to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday in New York.
That episode is at the heart of a stunning scandal that is rocking the NBA. Rozier, a pal and others were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Here’s how authorities say the alleged scheme went down:
Those placing prop bets don’t wager on the outcome of a game. Rather, they put money on individual player statistics, such as whether a player finishes over or under a certain total of points, rebounds or assists.
The indictment reveals how the widely popular bets can be exploited with inside information from locker rooms.
Before the Hornets-Pelicans game, Rozier told a longtime friend that he was “going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury and not return,” the indictment states.
That meant bettors who knew Rozier was staying on the bench could easily wager that his point total would be under his typical average. On the flip side, gamblers who took the “over” with no inside information were out of the money when they bet that he would score more than 21 points.
Rozier’s friend, Deniro “Niro” Laster, shared the information with others, who placed more than $250,000 in prop bets — and it paid off, according to the indictment.
Laster collected tens of thousands of dollars from people who cashed in on the inside information and then drove to Rozier’s home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they “counted the money” a week later, the indictment says.
The indictment also has descriptions of several unnamed NBA players whose availability for certain games was the source of betting activity. Their identities are clear based on a review of injury reports for games mentioned in the indictment. Those players are not accused of wrongdoing, and there is no indication that they would have even known what was being said about their game status. They include LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.
Damon Jones, who was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, was also charged. He’s accused of sharing non-public information about the status of players in two Lakers games in 2023 and 2024.
In the 2023 game, Jones is accused of texting others that a certain player who was not on the injury report still would miss the game with a lower body injury. James, who had earlier been listed as questionable, did not play because of ankle issues.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” Jones said in a text, according to the indictment.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said Rozier is “not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.”
It wasn’t immediately known if Laster or Jones had lawyers who could comment on the allegations.
FILE - Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
