The most absurd statement in an otherwise credible news conference Thursday about the arrests of professional athletes accused of illegal gambling was this: The nation’s legal sports gambling enterprises are among the victims.

Sure, no one is accusing these companies of any involvement in the two major cases announced at a press conference: one involving people accused of being part of an insider conspiracy concerning athlete performances in NBA games and the other involving many more people, including former professional athletes and mobsters, in high-stakes poker games that were allegedly rigged.

Landmark court case

Thursday morning was an extremely bad one for the NBA. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player

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