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Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas had jokes after the FBI arrests of Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier on Thursday morning as part of a years-long probe into illegal sports gambling and illegal poker games.
And those jokes led to a spat with “foul” ex-ESPNer Rachel Nichols.
During Thursday’s installment of the “Gil’s Arena” show, Arenas, clad in a No. 24 Huskies jersey, danced to the set carrying a brown paper bag labeled “Informant Lunch.”
Arenas was indicted on three federal charges on July 30 in connection with a federal indictment that alleges he hosted illegal high-stakes poker games at his mansion in Encino, Calif.
When his co-hosts asked about it, Arenas said, “Informant? Nah, nah, nah, this is lunch … This is my lunch, man. I didn’t get to eat it over there, man. I was talking too much.”
“Got that Informant Lunch special this morning 🕵️♂️,” Arenas, 43, wrote on Instagram, adding the hashtag, “Agent Zero,” referring to his nickname.
Arenas made it clear that he didn’t have any involvement with the FBI’s probe into the cases with Billups, Rozier and Jones.
“Two of them n—-s is gambling on NBA, one is throwing poker games and robbing his friends — It ain’t got s–t to do with me,” Arenas said.
After Arenas’ arrest, he joked on a livestream that he was “snitching” before he walked back his comments and said he had “nothing to do” with it.
After the news of Thursday’s NBA gambling probe — which included the arrest of former NBA player and ex-Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones — a video resurfaced of Arenas celebrating his release from a Los Angeles jail following his July arrest for a separate gambling probe.
Arenas was released on a $50,000 bond after pleading not guilty.
Arenas was charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Former ESPN host Rachel Nichols, who currently serves as an analyst for Fox Sports 1, was among those that reshared the video Thursday. She appears to have since deleted it.
Gilbert Arenas says “snitching Gil coming soon” after being indicted on three federal charges accusing him of renting out his house for, and helping arrange, an illegal poker gaming racket. Gil is facing up to five years in prison but seems, um, willing to cut a deal. pic.twitter.com/cJLCoiUO3D
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 31, 2025Arenas saw it and called Nichols “foul” for reposting the video and suggesting he “possibly snitched” on Billups, Rozier and Jones.
“I’m good for all the trolling,” Arenas said Thursday. “That’s cool, but Rachel Nichols is foul. She used my video and she actually wrote that I possibly snitched.”
Arenas also joked that he wouldn’t go near the mafia, a nod to the FBI’s case into Billups — who is said to be the face of rigged poker games allegedly backed by the Mafia that defrauded victims of $7 million.
“I watch enough movies to know the last group you want to snitch on is the mafia,” Arenas said. “I watch ‘Dateline.’ They still ain’t found people since 1947. I like my YouTubing career.”
Follow The Post’s live updates on the bombshell NBA, Mafia gambling scandal
Nichols also reshared photos of Arenas holding his “Informant Lunch” bag.
“Well, you can’t say Gilbert Arenas doesn’t have a sense of humor,” she wrote, adding a crying-laughing emoji.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker game ring backed by the New York City organized crime families.
- Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
- Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
- Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
- Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
- Saul Becher — professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
- Eric “Spooky” Earnest
- Lee Fama — professional poker player
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane “Sugar” Henne
- Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen “Scruli” Hu
- Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Lanni
- John “John South” Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
- Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia “Pookie” Wei
- Julius Ziliani
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press conference Thursday that more than 30 people had been arrested in a years-long illegal gambling and fraud probe spanning 11 states.
Follow The Post’s latest on the gambling scandal rocking the NBA:
- NBA gambling scandal live updates: 4 teams, 4 Mafia families teamed up for $7M scheme, officials say
- NBAers Chauncey Billups, ‘Scary Terry’ Rozier arrested in major gambling bust involving 4 Mafia families, LA Lakers and LeBron James
- Who is Damon Jones? The other NBA player and LeBron James friend in middle of FBI betting, poker arrests
- Lakers, Raptors, Hornets, Trail Blazers involved in NBA gambling scandal: DOJ
Rozier is accused of rigging games by informing bettors of information before games, specifically when he planned to pull himself out of a March 2023 contest with a foot injury.
He did exit that game with an injury and bettors allegedly profited on the information.
Jones is accused of selling information regarding players on the Lakers who would not be present to play, specifically LeBron James.
He was not employed by the Lakers at the time and was a private shooting coach for James.
Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave by the NBA.
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