Thursday's arrests in a federal probe into allegations of illegal gambling in and around the NBA were so wide-ranging that little attention was given to the players and teams left behind.
That changed Friday, when the Heat faced the press ahead of a road game against the Grizzlies. Miami threw its support behind guard Terry Rozier, arrested on charges of money laundering and wire fraud.
"Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said via ESPN's David Purdum and the AP. "He's had a real positive impact on our locker room, and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year, when he wasn't in the rotation often times. We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this."
Rozier, 31, has played 10 years in the NBA for the Celtics, Hornets and Miami. While with Charlotte in 2023, he allegedly removed himself from a game in order to aid gamblers in winning significant cash payouts.
Heat center Bam Adebayo was particularly supportive of Rozier Friday.
"You support him through and through," Adebayo said via Purdum and the AP. "That's our brother at the end of the day. It felt kind of weird without him being here, actually, because he's the first person I get to talk to in the morning. He brings that great energy to our team."
Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., too, stood behind Rozier—though he expressed a need to let the legal process play out.
"That's our brother," Jaquez said via Purdum and the AP. "We've had a lot of time with him. You know, see what happens. There's a lot of stuff that we don't know. Just waiting for more information to come out."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Erik Spoelstra, Heat Players React to Terry Rozier's Arrest in Federal Gambling Probe.