"As I sat in the Portland Trail Blazers' press room and watched Chauncey Billups answer anodyne questions about if Matisse Thybulle was going to suit up for the Blazers' home opener, no one had any idea that in 12 hours time he was going to be arrested by the FBI for allegedly serving as a front man for Mafia-controlled high stakes poker games designed to cheat players out of their money."
"The dance teams practice their stuff, home and visiting reporters and PR people exchange information (sportswriters are inveterate gossips), some players take the court and warm up, others stay back in the locker room and shoot the shit. It's all very intimate, interpersonal, and it's all happening in the biggest room you can imagine, while gigantic video screens loom over everyone."
Chauncey Billups answered routine questions in the Portland Trail Blazers' press room and was arrested by the FBI about 12 hours later for allegedly serving as a front man for Mafia-controlled high-stakes poker games. Professional sports routines proceeded despite the arrest: games, opponents, fans, and preparations continued. The arena before fans arrive features dance teams practicing, reporters and PR exchanging information, players warming up or socializing, and large video screens overhead. Yang Hansen made his NBA debut for the Blazers after being drafted in the first round from Zibo, China, the first Chinese first-round pick in more than a decade. Yang played five minutes and sent Dante DiVincenzo to the ground on a hard screen.
Read at Portland Mercury
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