Stop Blaming The NBA. Start Looking At Ourselves

The NBA’s inaugural week was intended to be about exhilarating moments, not criminal proceedings. However, on Thursday, Oct. 23, the league got embroiled in a significant scandal involving over 30 people indicted in a vast illegal gambling operation, which reportedly included both current and former NBA athletes, as well as members of New York’s organized crime factions.Accused individuals include Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier—names once synonymous with thrilling plays, not FBI investigations. Their arrests coincided with alleged affiliates of the notorious Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families, following an extensive probe into a clandestine gambling network.The NBA’s rush to embrace legalized betting now backfires, revealing a failure to foresee that athletes could easily fall prey to organized crime. The debates around accountability in sports have grown, raising questions about integrity amid escalating gambling access.