No Dunks – "The Drop" | NBA Betting Scandal Questions & A Crowded MVP Table

Episode Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Jay Skeets, Tass Melis, Trey Kirby, J.D.

Overview

In this packed episode of No Dunks, the crew dives deep into the breaking NBA betting scandal, unraveling the details surrounding Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones. They discuss the integrity of the league, repercussions for those implicated, and the possible impact on NBA rules and Hall of Fame status. After dissecting this monumental controversy, the team shifts gears to celebrate the best basketball of the week, debate the early MVP race, and breakdown other noteworthy league moments, all wrapped in their trademark irreverence and camaraderie.

1. NBA Betting Scandal Deep Dive

Starts at 03:09

Key Players and Charges

• Chauncey Billups (Blazers coach), Terry Rozier (Heat guard), Damon Jones (former player/coach): All arrested in sweeping federal investigations into illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed rigged poker games.
• Billups: Accused of participating in Mafia-backed illegal rigged poker games—using tech like shuffling machines that read cards, marked contact lenses, X-ray tables, etc.—and possibly tipping gamblers about intentional tanking.
• Rozier: Accused of participating in illegal betting using insider NBA info; allegedly manipulated prop bets by pulling himself from games unexpectedly and tipping gamblers.
• Damon Jones: Linked to both the poker scheme and accused of sharing non-public injury/sitting info (e.g., LeBron’s status) with gamblers.

Notable Details

• Billups, Rozier, and Jones maintain their innocence; feds still need to prove their cases.

• Billups: Legacy and Hall of Fame status at risk if convicted of game-fixing or leaking secret info, less so for gambling alone:

  • "If they're able to prove anything with regards to tanking and Billups providing bettors information...I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re like, 'We gotta take you out.'" – Trey Kirby (07:23)

• Rozier: Indictment names 7 games over a year with accused prop-bet manipulation, including a March 23, 2023 Hornets game where Rozier allegedly told a co-conspirator he'd fake an injury and leave early:

  • “Rozier informed the defendant, De Niro Laster, that Rozier was going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury and not return to play. Further, Rozier provided this information...for the purpose of enabling Laster to place wagers...” – Tass Melis (13:09)

• NBA's Failure: NBA had previously cleared Rozier after their own investigation—even letting him play 64 games in the following season.

  • “How in the world did the NBA clear this guy?” – Trey Kirby (10:58)
  • “The NBA’s biggest problem in all of this is the attack on game integrity. The second biggest problem...is the perception that their investigations might be worthless.” – Jay Skeets quoting Matt Moore (11:55)

• Damon Jones & LeBron: Jones allegedly shared LeBron injury/sit info with gamblers before it was public. LeBron not accused of wrongdoing.

  • "The indictment does not name LeBron, but it's LeBron." – Jay Skeets (17:00)
  • "LeBron’s not accused, he can eat now. That’s what he said." – Trey Kirby (17:43)

Implications and Broader Discussion

• NBA facing huge reputation risk; Adam Silver's worst nightmare is more names coming out.
• Fan Impact: Concerns about harassment of players due to prop bets:
  • “I don’t like having players in my face or getting messages on Instagram saying, ‘Dude, hit that free throw’...” – Skeets summarizing player sentiment (23:20)-24:15
• Possible Solutions Discussed:
  • Ban or limit prop bets (especially unders/manipulatable stats)
  • Earlier injury reporting, maximum betting limits
  • Pulling low-profile or two-way player prop bets
  • League collaboration with sportsbooks to detect abnormal betting patterns
• "Adam Silver made this bed, now he has to lie in it. He pushed for the legalized gambling..." – Jay Skeets (23:00)

Memorable Moment

• Mafia involvement & James Bond-level cheating gear:
  • "Poker chip trays with hidden cameras, special contact lenses...an X-ray table that could read cards face down" – Jay Skeets (07:52)

Quotes:

• "Pete Rose never got into the Hall of Fame, right? And he was doing basically the same thing." – Trey Kirby (06:23)
• "The only way we know...is all these weird bettings coming in on it." – Jay Skeets (28:36)
• "Just say the most you can ever bet on a prop bet is $10 and, like, no one will ever do this." – Jay Skeets (29:46)

2. Best of the Week: Basketball Moments & MVP Table

Starts at 39:18

Notable On-Court Moments

• First Wedgie of the Season: OBI Toppin secures the season's inaugural wedgie with a wedgie-then-dunk sequence in overtime against the defending champs.
  • “Every wedgie is a snowflake.” – Tass Melis (40:25)

Crowded MVP Table

Starts at 41:08

Who Deserves a Seat?

• Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, Wemby, Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Giannis, Luka, Sengun, Aaron Gordon, Ja Morant, Tyrese Maxey
  • "I'm putting 10 at my table." – Tass Melis (41:45)
• Skeets insists on "Six max"—classic No Dunks MVP Table debate.
• Early leaders:
  • SGA: Two double-OT wins, 90 points in two games. “To be the man, you gotta beat the man. And he's still the MVP leader right now.” – Trey Kirby (45:14)
  • Wemby: Most dominant individual game so far (40 points, 15 rebounds)—unstoppable power.

Memorable MVP-related Quotes:

• "Bag of hesitations and fakes and pivots..." – Jay Skeets on SGA (45:14)
• "If [Wemby]’s going to play with the force and the power that he's playing with for the entire season, there's no way to guard him." – Trey Kirby (46:37)

Other Shoutouts:

• Tyrese Maxey ("Kids table" MVP):
  • “He looks like he has muscled up...He’s one of the fastest players in the league…” – Trey Kirby (43:07)

3. NBA Finals: Center-Court Trophy Returns!

Starts at 54:15

• Good News: The Larry O'Brien Trophy will again be painted at midcourt for every NBA Finals game, thanks to persistent fan (and podcast) requests.
  • “You can paint a court, you can paint a trophy.” – Trey Kirby (55:08)

4. Broadcast Notes: TNT Crew on ESPN, ESPN Technical Issues

Starts at 56:45

• TNT Icons Move to ESPN:

  • "It's just weird seeing the ESPN logo on the desk.” – Jay Skeets (57:23)
  • The crew stayed the same, show remains unchanged; Shaq, Chuck and Kenny have the same dynamic.
  • Charles Barkley’s weight loss is noted as the only big “change.”
    • “I like it for his health…but I’m a team Fat Chuck.” – Jay Skeets (59:07)

• ESPN Broadcast Looked Off:

  • Color and brightness issues tied to their HDR production pipeline.
    • "Undeniably washed out and grayish, you know?" – Trey Kirby (62:11)

Mike Breen/Richard Jefferson/Tim Legler Trio:

• Crew getting positive early reviews for chemistry and blend of analysis/jokes.
  • "I really liked it. I thought those three were really nice together…” – Jay Skeets (63:06)

5. Miscellaneous: Fun & Rapid Fire

Starts at 73:43

• Rapid Fire Questions:
  • Rewarding people who didn’t earn it: Penny Hardaway in the Skeets Hall of Fame (74:05), giving hearts to almost every YouTube comment (Trey, 75:00), being too charitable to Star Wars (JD, 76:55).
  • Times when you just thought about stuff: Consulate waiting room banality (Skeets, 78:26), “Walk Hard” life montage for rapid fire brainstorming (Trey, 80:03), JD's perpetual zone-out (80:53).
  • Magic pill to do something as your younger self: Skateboarding (Skeets, 82:50), Guitar (Trey, 85:29), Language learning (JD, 87:27).

6. Listener Interactions & In-Jokes

• YouTube comments engagement wisdom:
  • “Be a dum dum. Don’t be a racist. It’s one of my tenets in life.” – Trey Kirby (76:47)
• Classic gags about haters in the comment section, No Dunks/Starters nostalgia, and recurring inside jokes about production set-up and artwork behind the desk.

7. Final Shoutouts, Promo, and Weekend Preview

Starts at 92:12

• Reminder to grab No Dunks merch, sub to their Substack, and tease more fun with art, Halloween décor, and stream upgrades.
• Friday NBA schedule preview: Thompson Twins matchup, Wemby vs. Zion, and some banter about the World Series with baseball predictions.

Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• Billups’ Hall of Fame risk: "If they're able to prove anything...I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re like, 'We gotta take you out.'" (06:23, Trey)
• Rozier's player manipulation: "Rozier informed the defendant...that Rozier was going to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to a supposed injury..." (13:09, Tass)
• Mafia tech in poker: "Poker chip trays with hidden cameras...a literal X-ray table." (07:52, Skeets)
• SGA’s MVP case: “He’s still the MVP leader right now, I would say.” (45:14, Trey)
• Wemby’s dominance: "If he's going to play with the force...there's no way to guard him." (46:37, Trey)
• NBA integrity problem: "The NBA’s biggest problem in all of this is the attack on game integrity..." (11:55, Skeets quoting Matt Moore)
• Prop bets vs. point fixing: "Prop bets are the easiest for a player to have an impact." (26:38, Skeets)
• Chuck’s weight loss: "I like it for his health…I’m team Fat Chuck.” (59:07, Skeets)

Tone and Chemistry

The episode is lively, inquisitive, and irreverent as always, balancing serious discussion about NBA integrity with the hosts’ signature banter, callbacks, and comedic timing. On a heavy news day, they still find time to laugh about wedgies, HVAC technicalities, Charles Barkley’s suits, and fake MVP tables.

Time-Indexed Episode Map

• 03:09 – Betting scandal explained, beginning with Billups, Rozier, and Jones
• 17:00 – Damon Jones, LeBron connections
• 22:48 – League and sportsbook changes, future prop bet policies
• 39:18 – Best of the Week: Wedgie, basketball highs
• 41:08 – Early MVP Table debate
• 54:15 – Finals trophy returns to center court
• 56:45 – TNT on ESPN, Chuck’s weight
• 73:43 – Rapid Fire questions

For basketball fans and NBA ecosystem followers, this No Dunks Drop episode is essential listening, blending breaking investigative drama with the first thrilling acts of the 2025 regular season.