By Ray Cardello for October 23, 2025, Season 33 / Post 8

It was not that long ago that pro sports, and college sports, too, would not be caught in the same conversation with gambling at any level. The fear of gambling jeopardizing the integrity of the sport was so great that Las Vegas was considered off limits as a home of any sports franchise. Vegas now has a football and hockey franchise, and itis only a matter of time before basketball and baseball follow suit. You cannot go to a sporting venue, watch a televised event, or use a sports app on your cellphone without seeing ads for gambling websites. Every major sport, including the big four, soccer, and golf, has chased the almighty buck, and God knows there are billions to split with legalized gambling.

It is not just the outcome of games that are prime for wagering. Every play, heck, every pitch is fair game for betting. I remember going to watch Jai-Ali years ago. This was a sport that was as associated with magering as horse racing, and you could see players impacting the outcome of the game, usually while being showered with boos and catcalls from the fans. There was nothing legit about a Jai-aLai match, which probably led to its demise. What will prevent all major sports leagues in America from following Jai-Ali into the gutter of defunct sports leagues?

The names of the people involved in this caper are leaking out slowly. These players either stuck to poker or manipulated their time on the court for a specific game where the money bet was on “under” points scored or minutes lost. They pulled themselves out of the game to ensure a payout to the members of the gang. It was a simple procedure, but they have been busted.

These players did not need the money. Terry Rozier from the Miami Heat was set to make $26 million this year before endorsements. Unless he was totally foolish with his earnings, he had already made more than $150 million, he had to be involved in this poker and live sports betting for fun, he was under threat from the Mafia, or to pay off debts for his coconspirators.

The Left, of course, went apoplectic, claiming this investigation was because of Trump’s hatred for the NBA and the league’s relationship with China. FBI Director Kash Patel quickly shot that theory out of the sky, explaining that the investigation had begun under Joe Biden. TDS has no boundaries.

The announcement this week could not have come at a worse time for the NBA, which was celebrating opening night and the start of the season. The league even went so far as to try to portray the players as victims. This will not fly and each day, another layer of the onion is peeled away and more current and former players are implicated. This issue has the earmarks of a major conspiracy that could shred the league’s credibility for years. Sadly, from someone who has witnessed 18 championships for my beloved Celtics, the league deserves whatever fate this mess leaves in its wake.