Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has been connected to the April 2019 Las Vegas poker game at the center of the federal investigation involving Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, according to Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Torre reported that multiple sources confirmed Lue’s attendance at the same game in which Billups was accused of profiting from a manipulated hand using a rigged card shuffler. At the time, Lue was an assistant coach with the Clippers.
According to Torre, Lue did not play at Billups’ table but was present at the venue. “The same one where Billups was allegedly profiting off of an extremely suspicious hand and a rigged shuffling machine,” Torre said, via HoopsHype, citing multiple individuals with direct knowledge of the event.
The game has drawn renewed attention after federal prosecutors accused Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones of participating in a multi-state gambling scheme that targeted wealthy players through fixed poker games.
Prosecutors allege that high-profile figures such as Billups and Jones were used to attract victims into joining games they believed were legitimate. Those games were allegedly run with altered equipment capable of identifying cards and relaying information to insiders at the table.
Lue, who has long been known to reside in Las Vegas during the offseason, is described by Torre as a “regular” at the city’s Aria High Limit Bar — a popular spot among NBA circles. He is often seen there alongside Damon Jones, his longtime friend and former assistant coach in both Cleveland and Los Angeles.
Despite Lue’s confirmed presence at the 2019 event, Torre emphasized that there is no indication the Clippers coach was involved in any wrongdoing. “Sources say that Lue did not play at the same table as Billups,” he clarified, adding that his inclusion in the story was based solely on his attendance.
When Pablo Torre Finds Out reached out to the Clippers for comment regarding Lue’s involvement, the organization did not respond.
Federal officials have since linked the 2019 poker sessions to an organized operation that defrauded participants out of large sums. The alleged setup used high-tech cheating devices, including marked cards, modified shufflers, and hidden cameras.
The scandal has already resulted in multiple arrests, including Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, both charged in separate but related investigations tied to illegal gambling and insider betting.
