LeBron James may provided inside information about himself that was used as part of a wide-ranging NBA gambling scheme, though there is no reason to believe the Los Angeles Lakers star was aware.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday morning over his alleged involvement in multiple illegal gambling rings. Prosecutors revealed in a press conference that Jones and others have been accused of helping to perpetuate “a scheme to defraud by betting on inside, non-public information about NBA athletes and teams” between December 2022 and December 2024.
According to court documents that were obtained by the New York Post, Jones provided inside information about James to one of the members of the illegal betting ring. Investigators say Jones sent a text message to the person on Feb. 9, 2023, urging the bettor to place a large wager on the Milwaukee Bucks, who played the Lakers that night. Jones allegedly advised his associate to bet on the Bucks because Jones knew LeBron was not going to play in the game due to an injury.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” the text message read.
James did not play in the game because of a lower body injury. The Bucks beat the Lakers 115-106.
It is unclear if James is the person who provided the information to Jones, but the two have a long history together and are said to be friends. Jones was teammates with LeBron on the Cavaliers from 2005-2008. He later returned to the Cavs as an assistant from 2016-2018 and was with the staff when James returned and led the team to an NBA title.
LeBron has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Even if he was the person who told Jones about the injury, there is nothing illegal about having a conversation with a friend. What Jones allegedly did with the information is what would have made it a crime.
