All The Smoke – Episode Summary

Episode: The Biggest Chapter Yet in NBA's Gambling Scandal
Air Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: Matt Barnes and (guest) Keon Clark
Podcast Network: The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted solo by Matt Barnes with an extended interview featuring former NBA player Keon Clark, unpacks the latest, most explosive developments in the NBA’s growing illegal gambling scandal. The show delves into breaking allegations involving NBA figures, reflects on the deeper issues of integrity and gambling in professional sports, and offers unique perspectives on the scandal’s personal and league-wide ramifications. The episode also pivots to discuss week one of the NBA season and trends on the court.

1. The NBA Gambling Scandal: Timeline and Allegations

[02:10-10:56]

• Matt Barnes sets the scene: Several NBA players and coaches are now under federal investigation for allegedly feeding inside information, rigging poker games, and having ties to organized crime.
  • Jontay Porter: Banned from the NBA, awaiting a December sentencing, facing possible 40-50 months in prison.
  • Terry Rozier: Initially cleared by the NBA, but the feds allege he provided inside info for betting.

    “The fed said nah, not yet. We got some more questions.” (Matt Barnes, 03:25)

  • Chauncey Billups: Portland Trail Blazers head coach, former NBA player, accused of involvement in rigged poker games and allegedly providing player info. His legal team denies all claims.
  • Damon Jones: Ex-player/coach, accused of tipping off bettors about non-public NBA information.
• Barnes connects this scandal to longer-running issues of gambling in pro sports, referencing the influx of betting sponsorships and the NBA’s partnerships with major betting sites.
• Barnes sharply criticizes the NCAA for allowing staff and players to bet on pro sports immediately amidst the NBA's chaos.

  • “NCAA’s blind leading the blind over there. I don’t know what they’re thinking.” (Matt Barnes, 07:48)

Key Insight

Barnes highlights limits of NBA oversight compared to federal authorities and stresses these are allegations, not proven convictions. He openly questions how much responsibility commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA itself should bear in this new era where gambling is so tightly woven into pro sports.

2. Integrity and the Future of NBA Gambling

[05:00-10:56]

• Barnes explores potential reforms to “bridge the gap” between gambling’s popularity and maintaining the sport’s integrity:
  • Limit prop bets to established stars with more to lose.
  • Eliminate or reduce “unders” —seen as easier to manipulate.
  • Reduce the frivolity: Criticizes the rampant betting on minor, easily manipulated outcomes (e.g., Gatorade color, jump ball).
  • Points to the broader context of betting and sponsorships saturating sports media, highlighting the difficulty of separating economics from responsible oversight.
  • Notable quote:

    “How can gambling be a part of our game without losing the integrity of the game, without players jeopardizing their careers, without people going crazy, without people getting arrested?”
    (Matt Barnes, 08:03)

• Stresses that all accused parties are entitled to due process and highlights the personal impact on those involved, “Some of these guys are close to me. ...I didn’t think I would hear, but, you know, they say there’s more names coming.” (Matt Barnes, 10:30)

3. Keon Clark’s Perspective: Inside a Federal Scandal

[10:56-24:59]

A. Personal Reaction: Trauma, Empathy, and the Social Fallout

• Keon Clark, who was previously indicted and incarcerated for unrelated white-collar crime, recounts the emotional and practical turmoil when facing federal investigation and arrest.

  • “My initial thought was it was a trigger for me... because it took me and my family back to the time where we got indicted and the feds came to my house in Utah when I was coaching.”
    (Keon Clark, 11:43)

  • He explains the social isolation—how colleagues “might love you more from a distance” when scandals break.

B. Explaining Federal Process: What Could Await Those Accused

• Clark describes the fear, choices, and silence after arrest:
  • Early-morning arrest, time in a cell, facing a judge, and immediate fallout with family and employers.
  • The psychological toll:

    “You have to deal with the shortcomings and the mistake, the choices and the decisions that you made and the consequences that come along with it. And that’s a really hard time. And that’s where people can spiral out of control. So it gets really quiet. It gets really silent.”
    (Keon Clark, 15:45)

  • Discusses moral choices: whether to cooperate or take responsibility.

C. Broader Critique: Media Responsibility

• Both Barnes and Clark express frustration with irresponsible speculation from sports media, specifically referencing how names like Gilbert Arenas and Kevin Garnett have been floated without evidence for the sake of virality.

  • “People want the clickbaits and the views... but you’re really messing with people’s livelihoods... it’s very irresponsible.”
    (Matt Barnes, 21:18)

D. Clark’s Road to Redemption

• Clark reflects on the ongoing process of accountability, reinvention, and the importance of resilience—praising All The Smoke for giving him a platform post-incarceration.

  • “You have to reinvent yourself at least five times in adulthood... so I’m on like phase four at this point. I’m better for it.”
    (Keon Clark, 23:11)

4. NBA Week One Reactions & Trends

[29:09-44:42]

A. Standout Performers and Early Season Surprises

• Victor Wembanyama (“Wimby”): Consensus breakout—averaging 33 pts, 13 reb, 6 blks.

  “I've never seen a center that plays like a shooting guard but then protects the rim like Manute Bol...”
  (Keon Clark, 29:55)

• High scoring: Multiple 50+ point games from SGA, Austin Reaves, Aaron Gordon.
• Wemby’s humility and holistic approach to growth, on and off-court.
• Suggestion of nicknames: “Anunnaki”, “Nephilim”, “Goliath Jr.”, but no consensus yet.

B. Team Strategies: Experimenting Without a True Point Guard

• Commentary on teams like the Rockets, Suns, and Mavs trying “positionless” basketball, early struggles.
• Discussion of upcoming trade options for teams needing a floor general, with names floated (Colin Sexton, CJ McCollum, etc).

C. Rookie Class Watch

• Rave reviews for rookies like VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Cedric Coward, Trey Johnson, and Jeremiah Fears.

D. Defensive Accountability

• Calls for stars like LaMelo Ball and Jalen Brunson to step up their defensive engagement; not seeking “first team all NBA defense”, just no longer being a liability.

E. Ja Morant Trade Rumors

• Both hosts think a move would benefit Morant’s career while giving him a “fresh start” in a bigger market.

  “I think a fresh start would do his career... a new spark, a new life.” (Matt Barnes, 45:48)

F. Lighthearted Moments

• Joking takes on Jalen Brown’s “spray paint” hairline, referencing Carlos Boozer’s infamous hair dye incident.

  “You might need to hit him... but you... he needs the shit that sticks, though. Like, his shit is rubbing off on these jerseys.”
  (Matt Barnes, 46:44)

5. Closing Thoughts

[47:57-48:46]

• Clark thanks the show for its support and the chance to share his story.
• Barnes wraps with an invitation for listener questions and promises continued in-depth coverage of both NBA drama and on-court action.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Barnes on gambling’s unavoidable impact:
  “Gambling is here to stay. It's always been here. It's always going to be here.” (09:30)

• Clark on feeling triggered by new charges:
  “It was a real trigger for me... I'm just thinking about his family during this moment.” (11:43)

• Barnes challenging clickbait reporting:
  “To me, to go out there and throw someone like Kevin Garnett’s name out there without actually having the facts, and to me, it comes back to trying to be first and not right.” (21:18)

• Clark on reinvention:
  “You have to reinvent yourself at least five times in adulthood... so I’m on like phase four at this point.” (23:11)

• Wemby fever:
  “He’s a center from deep and he pulled that bit from down with the lefty... It’s crazy. It’s awesome to see his growth, his development.” (31:02)

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |---------|-------------|-----------| | NBA scandal deep dive & timeline | Matt Barnes solo | 02:10-10:56 | | Clark’s firsthand scandal experience | Arrest, choices, and advice | 10:56-20:23 | | Responsibility, reinvention & media ethics | Clark & Barnes | 20:23-24:59 | | NBA week one standout players, rookies | Wemby, Reaves, Edgecombe | 29:09-44:42 | | Ja Morant future & fun moments | Trade talk, Jalen Brown jokes | 45:08-47:57 |

Tone

• Candid and no-nonsense: Barnes and Clark speak frankly, blending humor, compassion, and tough love.
• Reflective and personal: Keon Clark’s testimony on indictment and reinvention adds human depth.
• Analytical: On-court analysis is stats-driven while tying back to bigger trends.

For New Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking not just the surface drama on the NBA’s gambling crisis, but for the thoughtful, experienced perspectives of NBA insiders. It combines real talk about consequences (personal and league-wide) with smart, entertaining breakdowns of the game’s current stars and storylines.