More details are emerging about the inside info Damon Jones allegedly provided about LeBron James’ injury status.
Jones, a former NBA guard who later became an assistant coach in the league, was arrested by FBI agents Thursday because of his supposed involvement in multiple illegal gambling rings. The 49-year-old Jones is accused of having provided inside information regarding the injury status of the Los Angeles Lakers star James before a Feb. 2023 game against the Milwaukee Bucks (read the full details here).
Later in the day on Thursday, ESPN shared the alleged texts that Jones sent to a supposed co-conspirator at the time (citing the information contained in the federal indictment).
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight,” Jones supposedly said via text, in apparent reference to the non-public information that James was set to miss that night’s game.
“Bet enough so Djones can eat [too] now!!!” another text from Jones allegedly read.
Jones was working as an unpaid staffer for the Lakers at the time under their then-head coach Darvin Ham. He was previously teammates with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005-08 and later became an assistant coach for the Cavs from 2016-18 (including in 2016 when James led the team to the NBA title).
The Bucks went on to beat the James-less Lakers during the game in question by a final score of 115-106. James has not been accused of any wrongdoing though and is said to have been unaware at the time that Jones was involved in any gambling activity.
Basketball fans may also recall that Jones is the coach whom ex-Cavaliers guard JR Smith infamously threw a bowl of soup at in 2018.
