This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As if professional sports in America weren't already facing enough headwinds, with "wokism" running amok and such.
Now the FBI has confirmed that onetime University of Colorado basketball player and now Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are under arrest.
Also former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones, and dozens more.
A report from Fox news explained, "The investigation was tied to a probe into members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families."
FBI chief Kash Patel said, in a statement, "Day in and day out, this FBI is following the money — and today is the result of that outstanding work. This operation involved an expansive effort across 11 states arresting 31 subjects, including multiple NBA players and coaches, who allegedly took advantage of their own positions of power to rig gambling systems for their own benefit — eventually funneling money to La Cosa Nostra, enriching some of the most notorious criminal networks in the world.
"That ends today — and the FBI's efforts to make sure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law are only beginning. Thank you to the outstanding men and women of the FBI who pursued this case and followed the facts accordingly."
Billups was at his team's game against Minnesota Wednesday, but Rozier didn't play in Maim's game against Orlando.
Billups played 17 years in the league and was five times picked as an all-star.
The report explained Rozier's arrest was tied to NBA gambling while Billups was arrested and was linked to poker.
The investigation, Operation Zhen Diagram, "hunted down a nationwide gambling ring allegedly involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families who allegedly defrauded unwitting victims of millions," the report said.
It was a "confidential source" that actually recorded some 3,000 phone calls and meetings with alleged conspirators.
"The source introduced undercover agents to the targets and participated in a rigged poker game.
Officials said the poker games involved cheating devices such as rigged shuffling devices," Fox explained.
The investigation also overlapped with another that looked into fixed NCAA basketball games, a plan that reportedly included current and former NBA players.
The report said Billups specifically was suspected "of having ties to the poker games and ties to La Cosa Nostra."
A law firm released a statement on behalf of Rozier, complaining of the arrest and "perp walk."
"It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op," the statement said.
