Raiders LB Devin White Calls out John Spytek’s Former Boss Over Apparent Lie
Linebacker Devin White had a quick fall from grace. After being a top-five draft pick in 2019, he got off to a quick start. He was an All-Pro by his second year and was a key player during the
He continued to put up strong numbers for the team, but they decided to let him walk once his rookie contract was up. Despite his key role on the Super Bowl team, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who is
“Knowing what I know now, he would have been off my board,”
That’s a pretty candid quote from a current general manager, but White isn’t buying it. He does think Licht still would’ve drafted him and called out the general manager.
“For [Licht] to say what he said, man, we hosted a Super Bowl trophy together, so none of that matters,” White said on the “Nightcap” podcast.
“What he knows, he would [draft me] again because I helped him. On that run that we made, I feel like I was a key part of it. No cocky. If you look at the numbers and the stats, like I missed a playoff game and had the most tackles in the postseason out of any [Bucs] player.”
White Wanted a New Contract
White did request a trade from the Buccaneers in 2023 that Tampa Bay didn’t honor. It seems like there may be some bad blood stemming from that.
From White’s perspective, he thought he had earned a contract and didn’t understand why the team wouldn’t pay him.
“I wasn’t trying to be selfish, but I wanted what was due,” White said. “I felt like I did everything right there from on the field to off the field, in the community, being a team captain every year. And when I asked to [get paid after four seasons], you know, I got looked at crazy and I don’t know why.”
It’s safe to say that White and Licht aren’t going to be close friends anytime soon.
White Playing Well for Raiders
Though Licht clearly isn’t a fan of White, he was good enough for Spytek to give him a shot with the Raiders. Spytek was with the Buccaneers during White’s entire tenure with the team.
While he hasn’t been an All-Pro, White has been playing well for the Raiders. He leads the team with 64 total tackles, which is also tied for the 11th-most in the
One thing White could do for the Raiders is get after the quarterback more. He only has 1.0 sack on the season. Considering the team signed him to a one-year deal, he’s exceeding expectations. If he continues the strong play, the Raiders should consider giving him a multi-year contract once the season comes to an end.
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.
