Adam Silver summoned by U.S. Congress for urgent briefing on NBA gambling scandal: Report

The NBA has been rocked by another betting scandal, with commissioner Adam Silver being summoned by the United States Congress. The latest reports suggest that the Congress wants to see Silver by Oct. 31 so that they can be briefed about the issue.

According to Ngwa Numfor of The Athletic, the Congress has sent a letter to the NBA commissioner's office about appearing on or before the end of the month. The letter came from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, requesting a briefing about the allegations of illegal betting and game-fixing in the league.

One current player, Terry Rozier; a current head coach, Chauncey Billups; and a former player and coach, Damon Jones, were arrested on Oct. 23 as part of two different federal gambling investigations.

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Terry Rozier, a member of the Miami Heat, allegedly leaked insider details about his injuries. Rozier was previously cleared by Adam Silver and the NBA of any wrongdoing after allegations of leaving a game because of a "fake" injury, so a friend can bet on his "under" stats.

The letter mentioned the NBA's investigation into the matter, and Congress wants an explanation of what transpired. This same issue is why Rozier was part of the current federal investigation and arrested on Oct. 23.

On the other hand, Chauncey Billups, the current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was allegedly involved in high-stakes poker games organized by the mafia.

Damon Jones is reportedly part of the same issue, but there are also reports about him leaking LeBron James' injury status to high-stakes bettors back when he was a "guest" coach of the LA Lakers under Darvin Ham.

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Adam Silver's first public comments about NBA betting scandal

Adam Silver's first public comments about NBA betting scandal. (Photo: IMAGN)

Adam Silver was in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Friday as the New York Knicks hosted the Boston Celtics. Silver was asked by Amazon Prime's Cassidy Hubbarth regarding the betting scandal that has engulfed the NBA.

"My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed," Silver said, according to NBC Sports. "There's nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition, so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting."

Some fans are critical of Silver because of his history of lobbying about making sports betting legal in many states. It was the opposite of what former NBA commissioner David Stern did during his time in charge.

Stern was vehemently against it and even gave a deposition on the landmark New Jersey case in 2012, as per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Edited by Juan Paolo David