Stephen A. Smith has ignited controversy by suggesting that the FBI’s high-profile investigation into Mafia-run illegal sports betting and manipulated poker games within the NBA is politically charged and influenced by Donald Trump.

According to authorities, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were taken into custody on Thursday, alongside more than 30 other individuals.

Rozier faces accusations of engaging in an illegal sports betting operation, allegedly using confidential NBA insider information. Meanwhile, Billups is embroiled in a separate legal case, accused of orchestrating a comprehensive scheme to fix underground poker games purportedly supported by Mafia organizations.

Both Billups and Rozier are confronted with charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to appear in court later on Thursday.

During an episode of his ESPN show, ‘First Take,’ coinciding with the FBI press conference led by Director Kash Patel, Smith alleged that the investigation is driven by Trump’s desire for retribution.

The left-leaning TV host, who voted for Kamala Harris and has flirted with running for president in 2028, said: ‘How many times, with one incident after another, have I said Trump is coming. He’s coming.

Stephen A. Smith alleged the FBI’s explosive NBA investigation is backed by Donald Trump

The ESPN star, who voted for Kamala Harris, delivered his verdict on First Take on Thursday 

‘Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl and all of a sudden you’re hearing ICE is going to be there looking to engage in mass deportations. The Super Bowl, disrupting things. Big night for the NBA, Wembanyama put on a show… that has now been smeared because we’re talking about this story.

‘Don’t be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list. When you’ve got all these protests going on out there, protesting against him… this man is coming, he’s coming. I’ve been saying it for a long time.

‘For me, this is the latest nugget of evidence. That’s not to question the legitimacy of the case, we don’t know. But anybody that has been around him, anybody that has talked to him and seen his reactions, from the sports leagues… they are not surprised at what’s going on today.

‘I’m watching a press conference with the Director of the FBI, tell me when we’ve seen that? It’s not coincidental, it’s not an accident, it’s a statement… and it’s a warning that more is coming.

‘In his eyes, folks tried to throw him in jail. In his eyes, he’s innocent and ‘they tried to put me behind bars. I’m getting everybody.’ He’s not playing. Everybody better brace themselves, because he’s coming.’

His comments sparked a furious backlash from viewers on social media, who rightly pointed out that the investigation began well before Trump started his second term in the White House.

One commented: ‘This isn’t a guy being dumb. This is Stephen A. Smith intentionally making a provocative statement he knows is misleading. The FBI director showed up because this is a huge mob related arrest. The FBI always shows up. You’d have to live under a rock or be dumb as dirt to believe what he just said. TDS (Trump derangement syndrome) is a real thing.’

Another posted: ‘The issue with this take is that they literally said this is an investigation that started and has been spanning 4 years So this started well before Trump’.

A third added: ‘Uhhhh, I highly doubt Trump had anything to do with this. Investigation was ongoing for years. Only political angle is Patel jumping in front of a camera for some personal PR, but that’s it lol.’

‘The investigation started years ago and has nothing to do with Trump, but leave to Stephen A to make it political,’ a fourth posted. 

One Trump fan commented: ‘Why is everything made political? This investigation started before Trump got into office. So the FBI cracks down on illegal mafia and illegal gambling racket in the NBA but Trump is still a bad guy.’ 

Six defendants are accused of participating in an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams, said Joseph Nocella, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

He called it ‘one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.’

‘My message to the defendants who´ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out,’ Nocella said. 

The second case involves 31 defendants in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games, Nocella said. The defendants include former professional athletes accused of using technology to steal millions of dollars in underground poker games in the New York area that were backed by Mafia families, he said.

In the sports betting scheme, players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

In one instance, Rozier, while playing for the Hornets, told people he was planning to leave the game early with a ‘supposed injury,’ allowing them to place wagers that raked in thousands of dollars, Tisch said.

Tery Rozier is accused of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information

Chauncey Billups is charged in a separate indictment alleging a wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games that were backed by Mafia families

The indictment of Rozier and others says there are nine unnamed co-conspirators, including a Florida resident who was an NBA player, an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021, as well as a relative of Rozier.

Rozier and other defendants ‘had access to private information known by NBA players or NBA coaches’ that was likely to affect the outcome of games or players´ performances and provided that information to other co-conspirators in exchange for either a flat fee or a share of betting profits, the indictment says.

The NBA, which had investigated Rozier previously, told Daily Mail in a statement: ‘We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. 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.’

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic on Wednesday in Orlando in the season opener for both teams, though he did not play in the game. He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday morning.

The case was brought by the U.S. attorney´s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter. The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations.

Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year. The five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA point guard led the Detroit Pistons to their third league title in 2004 as NBA Finals MVP. Boston drafted the former Colorado star with the No. 3 pick overall in 1997.

FBI Director Kash Patel led an explosive press conference on the investigation in New York

The player known as Mr. Big Shot also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 49-year-old Billups is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota.

A game involving Rozier that has been in question was a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans on March 23, 2023. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game – and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but did not play again that season.

Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down for the season´s final games.

In that game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period – a productive quarter but well below his usual total output for a full game.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something ‘shady’ had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds or assists.