Former Knick Calls for Adam Silver Resignation Amid FBI Gambling Case

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is under pressure following the arrest of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups on Thursday. Former Knicks player Enes Kanter called on Silver to resign amid the FBI gambling case.

Kanter on “Fox Business” on Monday shared his reason why Commissioner Silver should resign. He argued that the league is complicit in the scandal due to its partnership with betting companies and Adam Silver should take responsibility for the scandal by resigning.

“The #NBA is tied to gambling because the league made business deals with sportsbooks and built gambling into the game broadcasts,” the former Knicks player tweeted. “So when scandals happen, you can’t act surprised." "You can’t promote betting for years and then pretend you had nothing to do with it," he added. "That’s why I believe Adam Silver should step down, not out of hate, but because leadership means owning the consequences of your decisions.”

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The basketball world was shocked by the arrest of Rozier and coach Billups by the FBI. Commissioner Silver expressed his shock when he spoke to Amazon on Friday.

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

The alleged actions of Rozier were investigated by the league when it first emerged. However, he was reportedly cleared of any wrongdoing as he fully cooperated with the league investigation.

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Adam Silver speaks on the league’s cooperation with federal authorities

Adam Silver disclosed that the league cooperated with the FBI during its investigations into the alleged gambling offenses committed by Terry Rozier and Coach Chauncey Billups.

"The federal government has subpoena power," Silver said. "[It] can threaten to put people in jail, can do all kinds of things that the league office can't do. So, we've been working with them since then. And, of course, what they announced yesterday was an indictment. … And as I said, we've been working with the government, and they have extraordinary powers the league office doesn't have."

Terry Rozier, Coach Billups and former player Damon Jones were among 34 people indicted on Thursday by the FBI. It was part of two sweeping federal investigations that involved illegal sports betting and rigged poker games. Rozier and Billups were put on immediate leave from their teams and the league disclosed that it would continue to work with federal authorities on the investigations.

Edited by Ubong Richard