Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett has been named among several former professional athletes who reportedly participated in private poker games organized by individuals now indicted in the Department of Justice’s sweeping “Operation Royal Flush” investigation. While Garnett has not been charged or formally accused of wrongdoing, his presence at one of the games has raised eyebrows across the sports world.
Launched by the DOJ in coordination with the FBI, “Operation Royal Flush” is a federal probe targeting illegal gambling rings, rigged poker games, and insider sports betting schemes allegedly tied to organized crime. The investigation has already led to the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
According to journalist Pablo Torre, Garnett played in one of the high-stakes poker games in 2019 that was allegedly rigged by organizers now under federal scrutiny.
Sources with direct knowledge of the 2019 game say Garnett was invited as a guest and participated in the poker session, but there is no indication he was aware of any illegal activity or manipulation. As of now, Garnett has not been named in the indictment and faces no charges.
Still, his involvement, however peripheral, adds a layer of complexity to the investigation and highlights how deeply these games penetrated the world of professional sports.
The revelation underscores a growing concern about the intersection of celebrity, wealth, and underground gambling. With poker games often hosted in luxury venues and attended by athletes, entertainers, and financiers, the line between recreation and criminal enterprise can blur quickly.
Federal authorities allege that some of these games were fixed, with outcomes manipulated to benefit certain players connected to organized crime. The DOJ claims that insider information and intimidation tactics were used to control the flow of money and silence dissent.
As the investigation unfolds, more names may surface. Garnett has not commented publicly on the reports, and it remains unclear whether he will be called to testify or provide information.
EDIT:
According to Torre, a source close to Kevin Garnett told “Pablo finds out” that Garnett initially thought he was going to an “afterparty”, not a poker game. And that he chose to leave the 2019 poker game, which was in LA, early.
