The NBA’s investigation into illegal gambling activity has led to several Los Angeles Lakers employees having to turn their phones over to investigators.
Investigators working on behalf of the NBA have sought documents, including phone records, from at least 10 team employees, according to Joe Vardon, Mike Vorkunov, and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Among those cooperating are assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, both of whom are close associates of LeBron James.
This arm of the investigation is tied to Damon Jones, who was arrested by FBI agents for his alleged role in illegal gambling rings. Jones, a former staffer with the Lakers, is alleged to have used his privileged access to James and the team to share inside information with bettors.
James, Mancias, and Mims have not been accused of any crimes, nor have their names been mentioned in any charging document. Jones allegedly used information from a trainer in one instance of illegal gambling, so it is likely that the Lakers employees involved gave Jones the information without any awareness of what it was being used for.
Several other teams have also been asked for similar documents. The NBA is being very aggressive, as they have faced questions about how they handled the allegations before the FBI got involved.
