Micah Parsons responds with 3 words to Packers’ big announcement before Week 9
Micah Parsons’ experience with the Green Bay Packers has been great, thus far. It’s not always going to be rosy for him and his new team, but the former Penn State Nittany Lions does appear to be in an ideal position to win a Super Bowl, perhaps as soon as 2026.
Traded to Green Bay by the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a couple of future draft picks and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark just before the start of the 2025 NFL season, Parsons has seemingly found his fit already on the Packers’ defense. To further prove that, Parsons has just been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of October.
“He’s been outstanding,” Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said of Parsons (h/t Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s website). “All those guys are kind of feeding off one another. Certainly he gets a lot of attention in regards to protections and a lot of times he’s defeating a chip. Then, they might even slide to him, which opens up opportunities for everybody else.
Micah Parsons acknoweldges Green Bay’s message on NFC honor
Green Bay announced Parsons’ NFC honor via social media as well.
“You know that’s right. Micah Parsons is the NFC Defensive Player of the Month!” the team shared on Instagram.
Parsons surely appreciated the message from Green Bay, as he reposted the graphic and added a caption that read: “Thank you, God.”
Parsons had a solid three-game outing in October, none bigger than his incredible three-sack performance in a Week 7 win in Glendale over the Arizona Cardinals. He followed that up with a sack in last Sunday’s victory on the road over Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the season, the 26-year-old Parsons has 6.5 sacks and nine solo tackles through seven games.
Ex-Celtics Guard Hires Trump Lawyer to Fight NBA Gambling Charges
Former Boston Celtics guard and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has hired one of the nation’s most prominent defense attorneys to battle federal gambling charges that have rocked the NBA — and tied three former Celtics to the league’s biggest integrity scandal in years.
According to The Athletic, Billups has hired Marc Mukasey, a high-profile trial lawyer who has represented former U.S. President Donald Trump, to handle his defense against wire-fraud and money-laundering conspiracy charges.
Billups Turns to Prominent White-Collar Defense Attorney
Mukasey, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and the son of ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, is widely regarded as one of America’s top courtroom strategists in financial and corporate cases.
According to The Athletic report, Mukasey previously defended Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in 2019, and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried during sentencing in his multibillion-dollar fraud case. Mukasey also served as a legal adviser to Rudy Giuliani’s 2007 presidential campaign and represented Joe Sanberg, co-founder of fintech firm Aspiration, in an NBA-related salary-cap case involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Sanberg later pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud after admitting to defrauding investors of $248 million.
Now, Mukasey is representing Billups — the 2004 NBA Finals MVP and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach — as he faces potentially career-defining criminal charges.
Federal Allegations and Celtics Connection
In the indictments reviewed by
The 49-year-old coach, arrested in Oregon, has been placed on administrative leave by the Trail Blazers while the case proceeds. His former attorney, Chris Heywood, said last week that Billups “would not jeopardize” his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation and freedom.
Two other former Celtics — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones — are also implicated in the widening probe. Prosecutors allege Rozier shared private injury information with a friend who then profited from insider bets, while Jones allegedly helped facilitate the illegal gambling ring.
From Boston Lottery Pick to Hall of Fame Player
Getty 25 Jun 1997: Guard Chauncey Billups of the Boston Celtics shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Billups began his NBA career in Boston, drafted third overall by the Celtics in 1997, before going on to win a championship with the Detroit Pistons and earning the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in 2024, a crowning moment for one of the league’s most respected figures.
Rozier, beloved by Celtics fans from 2015 to 2019, helped Boston reach the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, while Jones had a brief stint with the franchise during the 1998–99 season. Their shared ties to Boston have given the scandal an unsettling familiarity for local fans.
Badminton Betting Ban Mirrors NBA Investigation
The NBA’s ongoing gambling scandal comes as other global sports face similar integrity challenges. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) recently banned former Danish player and coach Joachim Persson for four years after he was filmed placing live bets courtside during a 2023 Japan Open match, according to
The similarities between the two cases are striking. Both involve allegations that individuals used insider access and confidential information for betting purposes. The incidents highlight the mounting challenge of maintaining sports integrity amid the rapid expansion of legalized gambling worldwide.
A Hall-of-Fame Legacy Under Scrutiny
For Billups, who spent part of his formative NBA years in Boston, the charges threaten to overshadow a Hall-of-Fame career defined by leadership and professionalism.
If convicted, Billups could face up to 20 years in prison per count, along with the potential loss of his coaching position and damage to his legacy.
The NBA continues to cooperate with federal authorities as the investigation broadens — with Boston fans watching uneasily as three familiar names fight to protect their reputations.
