"Dodgers better hide Shohei Ohtani": Fans throw shade at MLB star after NBA's Terry Rozier & Chauncey Billups get arrested on alleged gambling charges

Fans throw shade at Shohei Ohtani after NBA
Fans throw shade at Shohei Ohtani after NBA's Terry Rozier & Chauncey Billups get arrested on alleged gambling charges [Image Source: IMAGN]

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has amazed the MLB community with his stellar performances on the field and also his humble demeanour. However, one black mark on his resume is his association with Ippei Mizuhara, his former translator, who is now serving a 57-month prison sentence for bank fraud.

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Ohtani's past association with Mizuhara always haunts him on social media, particularly when sports gambling-related controversy becomes news. That happened with the recent arrest of NBA legend Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier by the FBI on Thursday.

On the same day, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania posted about the arrest on his X. Veteran MLB insider Jeff Passan reshared it on his X.

"An active coach in the NBA who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 was arrested today as part of a widespread gambling investigation that also has seen at least one player taken into custody," Passan wrote.
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A section of the MLB fans immediately connected Shohei Ohtani to this controversy, pointing out double standards. They shared their thoughts and allegations on X.

"Meanwhile, we all agreed to look the other way for Ohtani lmao," a fan wrote.
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"Dodgers better hide Ohtani 🤣," another commented.
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"And yet Shohei walked free 😭😭," a fan reacted.
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A fan shared his suspicion about Ohtani's innocence, writing:

"No way Ohtani who speaks fluent English when he wants too didn’t know a lick of what his interpreter was doing"
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"All of these long, drawn out investigations leading to numerous arrests but it took the MLB all of 15 minutes to confidently say Ohtani was totally innocent. Makes a lot of sense," a fan pointed out.
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A fan hilariously poked fun at Ohtani with a Simpson meme.

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Another fan did the same with an IShowSpeed meme.

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Meanwhile, the arrest of Rozier and Billups doesn't appear to have any connection. Rozier's arrest stems from suspicious betting activity on prop bets involving his performance in a game on March 23, 2023. On the other hand, Billups' arrest was related to Poker.

What exactly did Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter do?

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison in February 2025 for stealing nearly $17 million from the Dodgers' superstar to pay off illegal gambling debts.

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Mizuhara met Ohtani in 2013 with Japan's Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and joined him as his interpreter when Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. In 2021, Mizuhara began betting illegally with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer.

His debt ballooned to over $4 million by 2023, leading him to impersonate Ohtani to access his bank account and wire $1 million to Bowyer. Mizuhara later lied to the Dodgers, claiming Ohtani had covered the losses.

The truth surfaced during the team's 2024 season opener in South Korea, prompting his firing and a federal probe. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion in June 2024. MLB cleared Shohei Ohtani of any wrongdoing.

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Edited by Safeer M S
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