The NBA was turned upside down when Portland TrailBlazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested for his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling operation. Now, another NBA coach has found himself directly involved in what was going on.
“According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of that April 2019 game in Vegas that we’ve been discussing—the same one where Billups was allegedly profiting off of an extremely suspicious hand and a rigged shuffling machine—another ‘face card’ in attendance was current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue. At the time, Lue was an assistant coach for the Clippers,” reported Pablo Torre.
“Now, sources say that Lue did not play at the same table as Chauncey Billups—the man he recently called his best friend, and the same man whom Lue would go on to hire as a Clippers assistant in 2020, once he landed the head coaching job. But here’s the open secret around the NBA: Ty Lue lives in Vegas during the offseason. He also loves poker. He’s often seen at what many insiders consider the nexus of the NBA poker world—the Aria High Limit Bar—often alongside another retired NBA player: Damon Jones.”
Ty Lue was reportedly in attendance at one of Chauncey Billups’ poker games, per @PabloTorre
"According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of that April 2019 game in Vegas that we’ve been discussing—the same one where Billups was allegedly profiting off of an extremely… pic.twitter.com/9vF6ffZ9NJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 30, 2025
Fans reacted to the shocking news on social media.
“I’ve seen Ty Lue at the Aria everytime I’ve been. Good dude. Fun gambler. Usually at the private craps table on the floor,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“bruh this was common / open knowledge in the LA poker circles… im just surprised that this is only coming out now. can’t name names, but so many other players also attended these games too,” someone else added.
“We need a 30 for 30 or Netflix documentary on this night at these tables,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see what else comes to light.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.