NBA star Terry Rozier's role in sports betting scandal puts scrutiny on how injuries are verified

The federal case against NBA guard Terry Rozier — accused of faking an injury during a game to tip off bettors — has exposed what sports medicine experts say is an unforeseen blind spot

The federal case against NBA guard Terry Rozier — accused of faking an injury during a game to tip off bettors — has exposed what sports medicine experts say is an unforeseen blind spot.

Do teams have any other choice but to trust players to tell the truth about how they feel?

“If the player says he can’t go in the first quarter, he doesn’t go,” former Dallas Mavericks team physician Tarek Souryal told NBC News last week. “We can’t see pain. You can see swelling. You can see bruising. You can see a cut. But you can’t see pain.”

Rozier, 31, was charged Thursday with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

Federal prosecutors allege he feigned a right foot injury while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets during a March 23, 2023, game in New Orleans after having told a friend beforehand he planned to bench himself early.