NBA Assistant Coach Placed On Leave Amid Scandal

On Thursday, 18 former NBA players were indicted on charges relating to an alleged health insurance fraud scheme. Among them was a current NBA assistant coach, who is now in deep trouble with the league.

The Portland Trail Blazers announced today that assistant coach Milt Palacio has been placed on administrative leave. Portland did not give a timetable on when he would be allowed to return to the organization.

“We are aware of charges as they have become publicly available in the alleged health insurance fraud case,” the team said. “Milt Palacio, a Trail Blazers assistant coach and former NBA player, was among those indicted in the case. Palacio has been placed on administrative leave by the organization, pending further notice. The investigation is independent of the Trail Blazers organization and we will have no further comment at this time.”

Palacio is one of the newest members of Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups’ staff. He joined as the fifth assistant in August after spending the last three years as an assistant for the Long Island Nets.

Milt Palacio is one of the 18 former players accused of defrauding the NBA’s league’s health and wellness benefit plan which assists players no longer in the NBA.

The players in question allegedly made around $4 million in false claims, receiving $2.5 million successfully over the course of several years.

As a player, Palacio played seven NBA seasons split between six teams. He then spent several more years playing overseas before moving into coaching.

We haven’t heard the last of Palacio or any of the other 17 defendants in this case.

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