Former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier arrested by the FBI Thursday morning

Just last night, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets in a 136-117 victory in the team's season opener.

The Spectrum Center was buzzing in the Hornets blowout victory, and hope has started to trickle in to the Charlotte fanbase. In the last three seasons, the Hornets have won a combined 67 games, with 179 losses. Despite this, exceptional offseason work from President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson and Head Coach Charles Lee have built a great foundation for the Hornets, and the future is bright.

As of noon on Thursday, it is not the biggest news in the Hornets world.

In January, former Hornets star Terry Rozier was being investigated into whether or not he had manipulated his performance as part of an illegal sports betting scheme,according to the Wall Street Journal.

A gambling ring that was accused of conspiring with former NBA player Jontay Porter (who was banned last April for helping bettors by intentionally underperforming in NBA games) had placed significant bets against Rozier in a game on March 23rd, 2023, when Rozier was still a member of the Hornets.

That night, the Hornets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 115-96. Rozier started, and scored five points on two made baskets. He then left after 10 minutes with a "sore right foot". Sports books then flagged unusual betting activity on Rozier, which caused a halt in his prop bets.

Initially, it was reported that Rozier had not been accused of any wrongdoing, and NBA spokesman Mike Bass stated, "The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules."

Nine months later, Rozier was arrested early Thursday morning in Orlando, Florida, reported first by Shams Charania of ESPN. Rozier is being charged by the FBI in a scheme where he allegedly rigged games in connection with sports bettors, officials told CNN.

FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference in Brooklyn on Thursday regarding the situation.

"Individuals such as Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier were taking into custody today, former, current NBA players and coaches," Patel said. "This is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years."

Four teams were bet on using insider information, according to the FBI: the Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Toronto Raptors.

Rozier allegedly told people close to him that he would be leaving the game against the Pelicans early, and to bet on his unders during the night, the FBI said. $200,000 was placed on him, and Rozier left the game after just ten minutes.

The Hornets acquired Rozier via sign-and-trade during the 2019 offseason, sending Kemba Walker to Boston for the guard. Across 298 games, Rozier averaged 20 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds.

Prior to the 2021-22 season, the Hornets gave Rozier a four-year, $97 million contract extension. He went on to play only one full year with the Hornets under that extension, before the team sent him to the Miami Heat in January 2024 for Kyle Lowry and a protected-2027 first round pick.