It was first reported Thursday by The Wall Street Journal that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is under investigation in connection to a sports betting scandal. The same prop bet that led to the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter is at the center of the investigation, the NBA confirmed Thursday.
The game in question took place in March 2023 against the New Orleans Pelicans when Rozier was on the Charlotte Hornets. At the time, Rozier was one of Charlotte’s top performers, coming off a hot streak. However, he left the game after just nine minutes, citing a foot injury. According to reports, a surge of bets had been placed on the “under” totals for Rozier’s performance earlier that day, prompting some sportsbooks to halt bets on his props altogether due to suspicious activity.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass addressed the situation in a statement earlier today.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
Rozier has not been charged with any crime or violation, however, speculation has grown due to Rozier’s drop in production, but player regression is common, and assumptions are often made without evidence. As of now, Rozier has not been accused of any wrongdoing and remains free to play without restrictions.
This season, Rozier is averaging 12 points, three assists, and four rebounds in 42 games.
