Beloved Detroit Pistons Former Player Is In Gambling Hot Water

The NBA world was rocked yesterday as the blockbuster news of gambling and corruption was released by the FBI involving organized crime groups and some in the NBA, the National Basketball Association.

The biggest shocker to all of us in Michigan was that beloved Chauncey Billups was supposedly a part of it all.

Say it isn't so, please. Our very own, former Piston, Chauncey Billups, now coach of the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA, who was called "Mr. Big Shot" because he could make those late-game winning shots when playing for the Pistons. He was on the NBA Championship Pistons team in 2004!

Now Chauncey Billups is in the NBA Basketball Hall of Fame!

 👇 BELOW: CHECK OUT EVERY DETROIT PISTON ALL STAR PLAYER! 👇

It is all confusing at this time, but the latest from NBC News is this:

"Chauncey Billups is charged in connection with an illegal poker operation tied to notorious Mafia families in which unsuspecting participants were cheated out of $7 million. The operation also involved former NBA player Damon Jones."

It seems, ESPN.com reports, that "Billups and Jones used their celebrity status to lure players into a rigged poker game. Once the player, or "fish" as they're called, loses, he better pay up or else," so to speak.

Chauncey Billups does have many people in his corner. His attorney, Chris Heywood, said:

"To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game."

How will this turn out? Who knows. There are more that 30 defendants is this big case.

As for coaching the Trail Blazers, Portland suspended Chauncey for the time being and named Tiago Splitter as the interim head coach.