Utah Jazz big man Kevin Love made perhaps an insensitive post on Instagram regarding the arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups on Thursday. They were among more than 30 people arrested in crackdowns on allegedly rigged poker matches and unlawful sports gambling.
Love posted a doctored picture of them in reference to a viral meme that originated at a Coldplay concert. The meme can be used when two people are caught doing something. However, it seems as if Love now realizes the error of his ways.
After Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard called the post “weak” in a comment — and the two seemingly had a conversation — Love reversed course and deleted his post.
Kevin Love apologizes for posting Chauncey Billups-Terry Rozier meme after speaking with Damian Lillard: pic.twitter.com/ayNO6ob6iB
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 24, 2025
Love has ties to Rozier, but he never played alongside Billups in the NBA, despite what his Instagram explanation might imply. It’s worth noting that fellow NBA figure Damon Jones, a former player and coach, was also arrested Thursday, and he was part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ staff during Love’s tenure with them.
For what it’s worth, Love still has a couple of posts up on his Instagram that make light of the situations involving Rozier, Billups and Jones.
It’s possible that Lillard was particularly unhappy with Love’s Instagram post because Billups is his head coach. Lillard signed with the Trail Blazers this summer after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him in what was a shocking move.
Rozier and Billups have been placed on leave by the NBA in light of their arrests, but the latter’s absence could have more significant ramifications than the former’s.
After all, Rozier didn’t even play at all in Miami’s season opener against the Orlando Magic because of a coach’s decision. Meanwhile, Billups is on the heels of his most successful season as the head coach of the Trail Blazers, as he coached them to 36 wins in the 2024-25 season.
With Billups caught up in a whole lot of legal trouble, former NBA champ Tiago Splitter will function as the interim head coach in his place. Splitter played seven seasons in the NBA and won a title with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014.
