Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett reportedly played in one of the Mafia-backed illegal poker games connected to the federal case that led to the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones.
According to Pablo Torre, Garnett took part in one of those poker games in 2019.
“A number of former pro athletes played at private poker games organized by those indicted by the DOJ in ‘Operation Royal Flush,'” Torre posted on X. “One of them — according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of a game that took place in 2019 — was Kevin Garnett.”
🚨 UPDATE: A number of former pro athletes played at private poker games organized by those indicted by the DOJ in “Operation Royal Flush.”
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) October 24, 2025
One of them — according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of a game that took place in 2019 — was Kevin Garnett. @pablofindsout https://t.co/9UEijIez8R
Garnett was not charged or explicitly named in the indictment.
The Scheme Behind ‘Operation Royal Flush’
Federal authorities say Billups, who played 17 years in the NBA and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year, was involved in fixing high-stakes poker games run by the Mafia.
“The poker scheme lured unwitting players into rigged games with the chance to compete against former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones. The games were fixed using sophisticated cheating technology, such as altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read cards, authorities allege,” The Associated Press reported.
The AP continued: “The scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime families, according to court papers. Members of those families also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.”
Federal authorities also arrested Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier for allegedly providing confidential information about NBA athletes and teams to co-conspirators who placed fraudulent bets. Jones is accused of taking part in both schemes.
