NBA coach Yang Hansen was arrested by the FBI for illegal gambling. He won an NBA championship and was elected to the Hall of Fame.

According to a report from Sports Weekly on October 23, according to Charania’s report, Trail Blazers head coach Billups was arrested by the FBI on suspicion of participating in illegal gambling. According to NBC's first report, many famous names in the American basketball circle also confirmed it.

Earlier, Charania also revealed in reports that Rozier was also arrested by the FBI in the early hours of Thursday morning local time for participating in sports betting.

Two senior law enforcement officials revealed that the reason for Billups' arrest had nothing to do with the game he was participating in. It is reported that the Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (22:00 today) to announce the specific list of arrested persons.

Billups is a Hall of Fame member who won the NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons. He played in the NBA for 17 years and was selected to the All-Star lineup five times. After Billups retired in 2014, he served as an NBA commentator for ESPN. After serving as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers for one season, he was hired by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.

The 31-year-old Rozier had previously been investigated for abnormal betting behavior while playing for the Hornets. That game occurred on March 23, 2023, when Rozier was still playing for the Charlotte Hornets. In the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Rozier played only 9 minutes and 34 seconds. After scoring 5 points, he left the game early due to pain in his right foot. At the time, the NBA said it found no evidence that Rozier violated league rules. As of this season, Rozier has played in the league for 11 seasons, played in a total of 665 games, and averaged 13.9 points per game.

Rozier did not participate in the Miami Heat's game against the Orlando Magic. Billups missed the Trail Blazers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On October 23, the first round of the NBA regular season continues. The Portland Trail Blazers are at home against last season's Western Conference finals team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chinese player Yang Hansen is on standby in a Trail Blazers jersey, ushering in the regular season debut of his NBA career.

At 7 minutes and 13 seconds of the first quarter, when Yang Hansen came on the stage to replace Klingen, the Moda Center Arena instantly erupted in enthusiastic cheers. For the first time in the NBA regular season, he quickly entered the confrontation. Although he did not get a shot, he showed his willingness to integrate by actively picking and rolling twice. He was replaced after 3 minutes due to the team's tactical adjustment.

Playing again in the second quarter, Yang Hansen gained more trust. After his appearance, he made decisive breakthroughs through pick-and-roll cooperation with his teammates, causing opponents to foul and go to the free throw line. Facing the first free throw test in his NBA career, he took a deep breath and made two free throws, setting his personal NBA score at 2 points. This was also the first NBA score for a Chinese player this season. After that, he actively blocked the position to get the first rebound of his career, leaving his mark on both offense and defense. After halftime, the Trail Blazers withstood the impact of Edwards' 18 points with Grant's 16 points and entered the locker room with a 4-point advantage. Yang Hansen contributed 2 points and 1 rebound at halftime.

Head coach Billups has previously affirmed: "Yang Hansen is more adaptable to the rhythm of the game than before, and he does a good job in defensive reading."

(Yangcheng Evening News·Yangcheng Pai Comprehensive Sports Weekly, Yangtze Evening News, Red Star News)