The man known as “Mr. Big Shot” is now in big trouble.
Chauncey Billups, a Detroit Pistons icon and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was among 31 people arrested in a sweeping federal investigation.
Billups, who was on the sidelines for Portland’s 118-114 season-opening loss to Minnesota on Wednesday (Oct. 22) night, was charged on Thursday morning with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to the La Cosa Nostra organized crime families.
“The fraud is mind-boggling,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during the announcement in New York City. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multiyear investigation.”
According to the 22-page indictment, the poker games were organized by the alleged mafia members in 2019 in Las Vegas, New York, and Miami.
Billups, who has been the Blazers’ head coach since 2021, is among a group of 31 people arrested in the sweeping federal investigation.
He was taken into custody on the morning of Oct. 23, 2025, in suburban Portland.
The scheme rigged games using advanced technology, such as shuffling machines and x-ray equipment that could read cards facing down on the table.
Billups was allegedly introduced into the scheme in 2019 by Damon Jones, a former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach and NBA player who played for 11 teams in 10 seasons – including a one-year stint with the Pistons in 2001-2002.
Billups and Jones were what investigators called “face cards” and were also considered to be in on it.
The profits from the alleged poker scheme totaled $7.15 million, of which $50,000 was allegedly sent to Billups in a 2020 wire transfer.
The third overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Billups spent eight of his 17 NBA seasons (2002-2008, 2014) with the Pistons.
He was one of the leaders of their 2004 NBA championship team, winning NBA Finals MVP honors.
The NBA has placed Billups on “immediate leave,” and Tiago Splitter has been named interim head coach.
The league released a statement saying:
“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.”
Billups was arraigned on Thursday afternoon in Federal Court in Portland.
He was released on bond, had to forfeit his passport, and is not allowed to travel outside Oregon or his native Colorado.
Billups is due in Federal Court in New York City on Nov. 24.
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