No one saw such a Thursday morning coming. Surely not Terry Rozier. The Heat guard was among several arrested in an alleged illegal gambling probe by the FBI. During a press conference held to address these arrests, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch unveiled some serious claims against the 31-year-old veteran guard.

According to Tisch, Rozier’s case dates back to March 23, 2023, when playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Her statement spoke about Rozier allegedly informing his close circle about plans “to leave the game early with a supposed injury,”. She also mentioned that the more they placed more than $200,000 on his under statistics to profit using inside information.

“Rozier exited the game after just 9 minutes, and those bets paid out, generating tens and thousands of dollars in profit. Proceeds were later delivered to his home, where the group counted their cash,” Tisch mentioned during the press conference. The Heat star will appear in court in Florida in the afternoon to face these charges.

Additionally, Jessica Tisch also noted that Rozier may never return to the NBA floor again. “As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched not for injury but for integrity. As a result of this investigation, six defendants, including Rozier, are now facing conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud,” she added. In a similar case last season, Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to the charges of illegal gambling. The NBA banned him for life, setting the possible precedent for such delicate and exploitative actions.

Terry Rozier was investigated for the same situation by the NBA. They did not find any player involvement in the unusual activity regarding the betting. And Rozier is also committed to fighting for his innocence again.

Terry Rozier’s lawyer disappointed in the FBI

Rozier was subject to an investigation into possible illegal gambling relations by the NBA and the federal authorities. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, noted that their investigations were still ongoing. However, he didn’t appreciate the FBI taking such extreme actions despite the Heat star’s agreement to comply with the investigation.

Trusty revealed they asked the FBI to keep an open line of communication. Although arrested, he is also committed to proving his client innocent once again. In doing so, he expressed his disappointment in the FBI for the way they handled the situation.

“They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk… They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight,” Trusty said in his statement.

Given the nature and elaborate operations of the FBI, this could very well be a major investigation. In the meantime, Terry Rozier will not appear for the Heat. No decision or statement has been made by the organization on the matter either. It’s a sensitive matter, and the NBA is cooperating with the FBI amidst its investigation.