Charles Barkley did not mince words when he and the rest of the Inside the NBA crew discussed the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA on Thursday, October 23.
“This ain’t got nothing to do with addiction,” he said during ESPN’s game night coverage. “These dudes are stupid.”
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested and charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia just hours after he coached his team to a season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were arrested in Miami in a separate but related gambling investigation.
It was later revealed that Jones, 49, is accused of disclosing privileged injury information about a “prominent” NBA player to facilitate illegal sports betting. Sources told ESPN the player in question is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
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Rozier, 31 “was accused of telling members of a betting ring that he would leave a game early, allowing them to wager on his prop bets with the knowledge that he would not rack up stats,” according to The Athletic.
Both Rozier and Billups, 49, released statements through their attorneys denying any wrongdoing.
“Under no circumstances can you fix basketball games,” continued Barkley, 62. “Under no circumstances. I love to gamble, the notion, Rozier makes $26 million. Him betting, giving people information or taking yourself out of games, how much is he going to benefit taking himself out of the game to get unders? He’s making $26 million.”
Barkley’s comments came in response to cohost Kenny Smith, who spoke about gambling addiction.
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“We have to realize gambling is an addiction,” he said. “The addiction of it is what makes you make illogical decisions… gambling is an addiction which can make you make illogical decisions regardless of your ethnic background, regardless of your physical background, and regardless of your financial status. So let’s understand that.”
When Barkley called those involved “stupid,” Smith, 60, said, “You’re proving my point.”
“That’s an illogical thought process,” Smith added. “If you’re making $26 million to win $50,000. That’s illogical. So you’re proving my point. It’s [an] addiction.”
A total of 34 people across 11 states were arrested as part of the FBI’s gambling investigation.
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the NBA said in a statement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Barkley, for his part, has been open about his own gambling habits in the past. He revealed in a 2007 ESPN interview that he had lost $10 million by gambling, including $2.5 million in a six-hour period while playing blackjack.
“It’s not a problem,” he said at the time. “If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don’t think it’s a problem. Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it.”
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