Former Pro Athletes Antonio Gates, Kevin Garnett, Tyronn Lue Linked to Rigged Poker Games

Investigative reporting around the mafia poker-rigging scandal has connected more former pro athletes, including another current NBA coach, to the games. According to Pablo Torre of the investigative show Pablo Torre Finds Out, former NFL player Antonio Gates, former NBA player Kevin Garnett, and current L.A. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue were present at some of the allegedly rigged games.

Gates’ business manager has denied that he was involved in any way. He and Garnett are Hall of Famers in their respective sports.

The federal indictment and arrests stemming from the games already named Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones as accomplices in the scheme. The FBI alleges that a complex cheating scheme involving high-tech devices enabled scammers who set up high-stakes private poker games to bilk unwitting victims out of more than $7 million. Pro athletes allegedly served as bait to lure in high-stakes players.

None of Gates, Garnett, and Lue appeared in the federal indictments or have been accused of any wrongdoing.

Torre’s Reporting Links More Big Names to Rigged Poker Scheme

The federal indictments on the rigged poker games were unsealed last Thursday, Oct. 23. On Oct. 24, Torre unveiled a string of posts on X linking Garnett, Lue, and Gates to the games.

Garnett, sources told Torre, played in one of the games briefly in Los Angeles.

Sources told Torre that Lue attended the same rigged poker game in Las Vegas in 2019 that poker pro Matt Berkey referenced on his podcast. However, Torre was told that Lue played at a different table from Billups, indicating the private setup had multiple games going at once. Reports don’t make clear whether the second game was rigged or not.

According to the FBI, victims lost more than $50,000 in that game.

Lue is well-known to enjoy gambling, appearing occasionally at high-limit craps tables in Las Vegas in the offseason. He also appeared on the rail in support of a friend during a 2024 World Series of Poker final table.

Torre’s sources told him Gates both hosted and played in a crooked game in Miami, one organized by Curtis Meeks. Charged with multiple counts in the federal indictment, Meeks has a lengthy history of criminal charges. The FBI said he provided cheating technology that enabled the scheme to operate.

“Antonio Gates has not been involved nor has he been accused of any wrongdoing,” said Gates’ business manager, Denise White, in a statement. “Assertions to the contrary are false and without merit. There will be no further comments on this matter.”

Lue and Garnett have not commented on Torre’s claims. However, Lue did speak to Sports Illustrated about Billups, saying the two are friends and that although the situation is “hard to process,” he supports Billup and thinks he’ll be okay.

What’s Next in Poker Cheating Scandal?

On that note, it’s important to emphasize that none of the newly reported names are directly implicated in the poker cheating scandal in terms of helping perpetrate it.

Still, one has to wonder how many more big names will pop up in relation to this story. Are these pro athletes and coaches the tip of the iceberg? Will further digging will link more celebrities to these poker games?

Each of the 30-plus names indicted has federal court cases on the docket. There’s still potential for more bombshells to drop here, especially if anyone decides to take a deal in exchange for information that aids the government’s case against other defendants.

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