In less than a week into the 2025-26 NBA season, the league has shocked the world off the court. The gambling scandal involving Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones casts a dark shadow over Commissioner Adam Silver, muddying the opening-week excitement.
Silver is taking a lot of heat. Former Boston Celtics center Enes Freedom went on Fox News to give his thoughts on why Silver should resign. He then took to social media to emphasize his argument.
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Freedom focuses on a critical word in his post and television feature: trust. “Fans love basketball because they believe the games are real and honest, and all the players are giving an honest effort,” he said.
Players who give minimal effort, miss shots on purpose, and fake injuries ruin the integrity of the game. For example, Rozier’s indictment involves a game on March 23, 2023, when he allegedly removed himself from the contest due to a fake injury.
Why do I believe Adam Silver should step down as the @NBA commissioner of the league immediately?
Here’s why:
The #NBA is tied to gambling because the league made business deals with sportsbooks and built gambling into the game broadcasts. It’s not just fans betting anymore,… pic.twitter.com/kAJEZ04Uhh
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) October 27, 2025
Freedom blames Silver and the league itself for these issues. “The NBA is tied to gambling because the league made business deals with sportsbooks and built gambling into the game broadcast,” he said bluntly.
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Companies such as MGM Resorts International, DraftKings, and FanDuel routinely sponsor the association and its broadcasts. Freedom says Silver “cannot be shocked” at the negative results and has to be held accountable. He believes the commissioner valued the sponsorship money over risking the integrity of the game.
Freedom called for Silver’s resignation as a consequence of his decisions. He isn’t alone in his outrage.
Freedom Believes This Scandal Can Create a Chain Reaction
Toward the end of his segment, Freedom stressed how this scandal can affect the entire sports world.
“If fans started to feel like outcomes can be influenced by gambling … they stop believing in the sport. Without trust, there is no product,” said Freedom.
According to Freedom, fans “will stop believing in the sport” if gambling influences game outcomes or player statistics. As a result, viewership could drop, hurting the sponsor, broadcast network, and NBA. Silver thought sports betting sponsorships could bring in more profits for the league. However, Freedom says it began a cycle that will do just the opposite.