• Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and players voiced full support for guard Terry Rozier after his Thursday arrest on federal gambling charges, saying “that’s our brother at the end of the day.”
• Rozier allegedly faked an injury during a March 23, 2023, game while with the Charlotte Hornets, allowing friends and co-conspirators to place $200,000 in wagers on his underperformance prop bets.
• The Heat responded to the turmoil by demolishing the Memphis Grizzlies 146-114 on Friday night, with Spoelstra saying the team had to “compartmentalize and focus on the most immediate thing.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (TDR) — The Miami Heat rallied around arrested guard Terry Rozier with declarations of “full support” before channeling their emotions into a dominant 146-114 beatdown of the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Rozier, 31, is alleged to have faked an injury during a game on March 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets, so his friends and co-conspirators could place wagers on his “under” prop bets. Federal prosecutors say associates placed roughly $200,000 in wagers after Rozier tipped them off he’d leave early, netting tens of thousands in profit when he exited after just nine minutes.

Rozier did not play in Miami’s season opener Wednesday and was arrested the next morning in an Orlando hotel room. The NBA placed him on immediate leave Thursday afternoon as part of the sweeping federal investigation that also netted Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.

Spoelstra, Adebayo rally around their guy

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who signed a $120 million extension in January 2024, addressed the media Friday before the Memphis game and made his position crystal clear. “Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us,” Spoelstra said. “He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year when he wasn’t in the rotation often times. We send our thoughts and care for him as he goes through this.”

Three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo, who dropped 24 points in the victory over Memphis, was even more emphatic in his support. “You support him through and through,” Adebayo said. “That’s our brother at the end of the day. It felt kind of weird without him being here, actually, because he’s the first person I get to talk to in the morning. He brings that great energy to our team.”

Adebayo drove the point home: “We stand behind him. Full support.”

Heat move on despite the chaos

The two-time NBA champion coach acknowledged the difficulty of compartmentalizing such a massive distraction but said the Heat had no choice but to forge ahead. “You’re left with no other choice,” Spoelstra added. “The league doesn’t wait. It doesn’t stop for you. If you’ve been around long enough in this league, you have to learn how to compartmentalize and focus on the most immediate thing, and that’s preparing for an important game tonight.”

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Miami walloped the Grizzlies, 146-114, in a statement performance that showed the team’s resolve amid the scandal. The lopsided victory provided a temporary distraction from the federal investigation that has rocked the NBA to its core.

The allegations against Rozier

According to the Department of Justice indictment, neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan to fake an injury during that March 2023 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report but exited after 9½ minutes with five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Co-conspirator Deniro Laster allegedly sold that inside information to other members of the betting ring, who placed wagers totaling roughly $200,000 on Rozier’s under prop bets in both parlay and straight bets. The bets paid out, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit that was later delivered to addresses connected to the scheme.

Rozier, through his attorney Jim Trusty, has denied any wrongdoing. The Heat aren’t commenting on the legal aspects of the case.

NBA investigated same allegations in 2023

The prop-bet allegations first came to light in late January 2025, but Rozier initially seemed unbothered, scoring at least 19 points in three of the next four contests. However, his performance cratered dramatically over Miami’s final 39 games of last season, including the playoffs. He made only 18 appearances and averaged just 5.9 points on 31% shooting—a stunning drop from his career norms of 13.8 points on 42% shooting.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the scandal publicly for the first time Friday, saying he had “a pit in his stomach” when he heard the news. Silver defended the league’s 2023 investigation into Rozier, which was part of the same inquiry that led to the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter.

“We ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward,” Silver said, explaining why the NBA cleared Rozier at the time while banning Porter for life.

Rozier appeared in federal court Thursday in Orlando and was released after posting his $6 million house as collateral for bond. He faces one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. He did not enter a plea and will be arraigned in Brooklyn at a later date.

Should NBA teams publicly support players accused of serious crimes before legal proceedings conclude, or does unconditional backing send the wrong message about accountability in professional sports?

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