Who is Chauncey Billups' lawyer Marc Mukasey? Trail Blazers coach attorney's surprising connection with another NBA controversy explored

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has reportedly hired a well-known trial lawyer to aid in his defense amid the federal charges involving illegal gambling.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick on Thursday, Billups hired Marc Mukasey to replace Chris Heywood as his attorney. Heywood handled Billups' arraignment last week.

Mukasey has previously represented several notable personalities, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

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Mukasey has also represented Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg, who is part of another ongoing league investigation involving the LA Clippers. Sanberg previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud amounting to $248 million.

The Clippers are facing allegations of salary cap circumvention. Sanberg's now-bankrupt company allegedly paid star forward Kawhi Leonard close to $48 million for a "no-show" marketing deal.

NBA insider Pablo Torre, who broke the news on Leonard's deal, said Thursday that Billups' hiring Sanberg's lawyer is "another surreal example of the streams of the Aspiration and NBA poker/betting scandal crossing."

Chauncey Billups will now be represented by Mukasey on his arraignment, which is tentatively set on Nov. 24 in the Eastern District of New York. The 49-year-old coach was indicted for his alleged connection with rigged poker games that are linked to organized crime.

Chauncey Billups' former coach offers support

Chauncey Billups' former coach with the Detroit Pistons, Larry Brown, has reportedly reached out to Billups since his arrest on Oct. 23.

In an article on Thursday, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said that Brown has texted Billups every day to let his former player know that "he cared and was thinking about him." Just like Billups' several other colleagues, Brown has struggled to grapple with the issues that his former player is facing.

"He would be one of the last people I would think about involving himself with bad people," Brown said. "If you talked to anybody that was involved with Chauncey, that spent time with him and knew his family, knew his kids, I think they'd be saying the same thing."

Brown and Billups led the Pistons to an NBA championship in 2004. They defeated the heavily-favored LA Lakers in five games in what was regarded as one of the greatest upsets in NBA Finals history.

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos