What's next in the scandal that has ensnared Chauncey Billups - ESPN

CHAUNCEY BILLUPS WAS seated at the center table of the ceremonial courtroom inside the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn.

Wearing a gray suit, Billups entered his not-guilty plea on Nov. 24 on federal charges connected to a rigged poker game that had enveloped the attention of the NBA and the rest of the sports world. He's facing money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, both of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

In front of the 30 other defendants, Billups, mostly expressionless, sat front and center for more than three hours as Judge Ramon E. Reyes heard arguments over all sorts of procedural and logistical issues, casting Billups as the face of a trial that includes violent criminals with long rap sheets, mobsters and members of the criminal underworld, as prosecutors allege he was a «face card» in the rigged poker games, whose fame lured victims to the table.

Billups' wife, Piper, and three daughters were seated two rows behind him. He surveyed the courtroom, then turned to look over at the gallery of reporters seated to his left who'd come to observe and document the proceedings. He lingered a bit on the faces he knew from his career as a basketball player and head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, a legacy now very much in question.

Billups' only words that day were his plea on the charges against him. His attorney, Marc Mukasey, offered no comment when entering and exiting the courthouse.

It will be a long time before anyone fully knows how Billups allegedly became involved in this scandal and the extent to which he was. It's a process that could take years.

In the courtroom, the judge put a protective order on the evidence in the case disseminated to attorneys — which