D’Angelo Russell facing arrest in NBA gambling scandal? Here's the truth

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and ex-Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones are among the 34 arrested.

Published on: Oct 24, 2025, 04:03:50 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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The FBI investigations of illegal sports betting and rigged poker games has led to 34 people getting arrested including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and ex-Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones. Amid this, claims have surfaced online that Dallas Mavericks player D'Angelo Russell has been arrested as well.

Online claims were made that Dallas Mavericks player D'Angelo Russell had been arrested amid the NBA scandal. (Reuters)

Notably, these claims, circulating on X, come from unverified accounts. “Dallas Mavericks guard D’Angelo Russell has been arrested by the FBI for alleged illegal gambling, sources tell ESPN," a person wrote on the social media platform.

Was D’Angelo Russell arrested in NBA gambling scandal?

No, Russell was not arrested in the NBA gambling scandal. His name is not among the 34 held for the two schemes the FBI is probing. The post claiming the 29-year-old was arrested indicates that sources told ESPN of the same, but no such report from the publication could be found.

Grok also fact-checked the post, replying, “No, this claim isn't supported by reports. There is a real NBA gambling scandal with FBI arrests on Oct 23, 2025, involving players like Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups, but D’Angelo Russell isn't mentioned as arrested or indicted in official sources like ESPN or FBI updates. The post may be misinformation.”

Also Read | NBA gambling scandal: Famed ref Scott Foster facing arrest? FBI makes big statement on probe

Elsewhere the AI chatbot repeated its observation, saying “No, this claim isn't true. Recent FBI arrests in an NBA gambling probe involve Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups, not D'Angelo Russell. No such report from ESPN or other reliable sources. The image looks fabricated.”

Notably, Russell was charged with possession of marijuana in 2019, after he was caught trying to sneak the drug through LaGuardia Airport, hidden in a secret compartment inside a tea can, as per reports from that time.

What to know of the FBI case?

FBI Director Kash Patel and others in law enforcement said the multiple charges involve four of the five leading mafia families and organized crime networks. The government prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub, David Berman and Kaitlin Farrell.

If convicted in the wire fraud and conspiracy indictment, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years -- 20 years for wire fraud conspiracy and 20 years for money laundering conspiracy.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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