"I Can't See Chauncey Billups Doing This": Former Eagles Star LeSean McCoy Defends NBA Coach's Character Against Illegal Gambling Charges

Former NFL star LeSean McCoy reserved his judgment on allegations against Chauncey Billups. The 2024 NBA champion and the Portland Trail Blazers coach was arrested on Thursday for allegedly taking part in rigged poker games.

Billups is one of the most respected names in the league, and it is hard for some fans, including former Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, to fully believe that Billups would do anything illegal of that nature.

The Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame player said that while he didn't know Chauncey Billups personally, people around him who knew the Blazers coach revered him.

"This is why I say you gotta prove that he's guilty because I can't see Chauncey Billups doing this," McCoy said.

"I can't see. I don't know the brother personally, but I know him as a player. I know a lot of guys that know him. They talk super highly about him," McCoy added. "A couple of GMs said they're not worried about it because they don't think [Billups] would do this. He's one of the best humans that they know." (Timestamp 9:05)

Shaquille O'Neal "ashamed" of Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal also weighed in about Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier's arrests. Addressing the allegations, the former LA Lakers star said that he was ashamed of them for jeopardizing their careers and families.

"We all know the NBA letter of the law when it comes to gambling and sports gambling," O’Neal said on Inside the NBA. "I know Chauncey, I know Damon very well. … I'm ashamed that those guys would put their families and their careers in jeopardy. There's an old saying in the hood, 'All money ain’t good money.'"

The NBA legend added that risking family and reputation for a few thousand dollars, despite earning millions, was confusing.

"So if you're making $9 million… how much more do you need? Especially if you know you get caught, you can do jail time, lose your career, put a bad image on yourself or your family or the NBA. ...They dropped the ball."

Last season, Billups made $4.7 million in salary. According to USA Today, the Blazers coach received a raise for the 2025-26 season. In his 17 years as an NBA player, Billups made over $106 million in salary.

Terry Rozier was in the last season of his four-year, $96 million contract he signed with the Charlotte Hornets starting from the 2022-23 season. Damon Jones, a former NBA player, was charged with leaking non-public information about LeBron James and Anthony Davis' health to his co-conspirators.