Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s performance in an NBA game two years ago is under federal investigation for alleged irregular betting patterns. 

Rozier has neither been charged or accused of any wrongdoing. The NBA confirmed that it had looked into the matter and concluded that the player did not violate any league rules and was unaware of the federal investigation.

Mike Bass, an NBA Spokesperson, stated: “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.

“The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”

The case stems from a March 23 2023 game involving Rozier’s time at the Charlotte Hornets in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the federal investigation into the game. The report outlines that he played over nine minutes in the game but left the court due to a foot injury, but did not return to either the game that night and the rest of the 2023 season. 

Wagers placed on Rozier’s prop player bets during the Pelicans game were flagged by US Integrity, the NBA’s betting integrity partner, notifying the league and relevant operators. Some prop bets on Rozier were even taken down by some operators a few hours before the Hornets and Pelicans game started. 

During the nine minutes Rozier was in the game, he finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists. With the Hornets at the time unable to make the play-offs that season, it is not uncommon for franchises to shut down some of their players for the rest of the season. 

In response to the ongoing investigation, Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said: “We are aware of the NBA’s 2023 investigation which determined there was absolutely no wrongdoing by Mr. Rozier and we are confident that the on-going government investigation will arrive at the exact same conclusion.”

The situation may seem similar to how Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA started. Porter was banned for life from the league after initial reports surfaced that prop bets placed on the Toronto Raptors player during a game against the Sacramento Kings on 20 March 2024 were deemed irregular. 

The investigation into Porter’s irregular betting patterns became known to league officials after it was found that the Raptors player knowingly gave information to a sports bettor regarding his health during a game against the Sacramento Kings on 20 March. 

The significant punishment handed to Porter represented the first major betting violation ban for a player since the repeal of PASPA in 2018. 

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