NBA gambling scandal sees first guilty plea after former Lakers assistant's change of plans

After initially maintaining his innocence, NBA champion Damon Jones has pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud aft giving insider accusation earlier it was made nationalist to payment gamblers.

Jones became the archetypal NBA fig successful the ungraded to plead blameworthy — helium was charged with conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and wealth laundering.

Reading a prepared connection to the court, helium acknowledged that helium conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by utilizing "insider accusation that I obtained arsenic a effect of my relationships arsenic a erstwhile player."

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Former NBA subordinate and adjunct manager Damon Jones arrives astatine Brooklyn national tribunal successful New York connected April 28, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

Jones told idiosyncratic adjacent to him that a "prominent" subordinate connected the Los Angeles Lakers, wide speculated to be LeBron James, would not play Feb. 9, 2023, earlier the accusation was public. Jones was an adjunct for the squad astatine the time.

James did not play successful the crippled owed to an ankle injury. The crippled was played 2 days aft James scored 38 points to go the NBA's all-time starring scorer.

Jones besides allegedly gave evident wrong accusation astir different "one of the Lakers' champion players" 11 months later, speculated to be Anthony Davis, regarding an wounded that was apt to impact his performance. That yet backfired due to the fact that the subordinate "performed well," and the Lakers won, according to authorities.

"I would similar to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and besides the National Basketball Association," Jones said.

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He said the extremity of the conspiracy, which ran from December 2022 to March 2024, was to usage his insider cognition — which prosecutors accidental progressive nonpublic accusation astir injuries to NBA stars — to marque wealth from sportsbooks. He acknowledged that his actions violated the NBA’s codification of behaviour and besides the presumption of work connected sports betting websites.

Jones is owed to beryllium sentenced Jan. 6, 2027, earlier Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. The sentencing guidelines for conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud telephone for a punishment of 21-27 months successful prison. Jones besides agreed to forfeit $35,000. Under the conditions of his bail, helium can’t gamble oregon beryllium progressive with organized transgression figures and helium indispensable get tribunal support for slope transfers of much than $10,000 unless it’s for ineligible fees. Jones initially pleaded not blameworthy successful November and adjacent utilized his parents' location arsenic enslaved collateral.

Jones is besides alleged to person taken portion in, and benefited from, rigged poker games, being utilized arsenic a "face card," on with Chauncey Billups, to lure victims into playing with celebrities. He was 1 of 3 radical charged successful some the NBA gambling and poker cases. He pled blameworthy to charges successful that lawsuit connected Tuesday, arsenic well.

LeBron James talks with Cavaliers caput manager Tyronn Lue and erstwhile teammate Damon Jones during an off-day signifier earlier Game 3 of the NBA Finals astatine Quicken Loans Arena successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected June 6, 2017. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images)

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On Monday, prosecutors said they were consenting to question further charges against existent NBA subordinate Terry Rozier, who is accused of taking himself retired of a crippled truthful bettors could currency retired connected his "under" props.

Prosecutors said they sought to record superseding charges of bribery successful sports and honorable services ligament fraud during a hearing. Prosecutors said they had grounds that the former Miami Heat guard solicited and received a bribe amid the alleged gambling scheme.

Rozier filed a question to disregard charges against him arsenic his attorneys argued the ligament fraud complaint is based connected a mentation that the Supreme Court rejected 2 years agone and that the authorities failed to beryllium the wealth laundering conspiracy claims.

Despite being undrafted retired of Houston successful 1997, Jones played 11 seasons successful the NBA. The explanation of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and made much than $20 cardinal successful his career. 

Throughout his career, helium was teammates with salient stars, including James, during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He besides spent a play with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal with the Miami Heat.

Portland Trail Blazers caput manager Chauncey Billups calls a play during the archetypal fractional against the Los Angeles Lakers astatine Moda Center successful Portland, Oregon, connected Feb. 20, 2025. Miami Heat defender Terry Rozier dribbles the hoops against the Chicago Bulls during the 3rd 4th astatine Kaseya Center successful Miami, Florida, connected March 8, 2025. Cleveland Cavaliers subordinate Damon Jones is successful enactment against the Boston Celtics successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Nov. 27, 2007. The J. Edgar Hoover Building, FBI headquarters, is shown successful Washington, D.C., connected May 28, 2025. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images;Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images;Sam Navarro/Imagn Images;Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

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He became a manager aft his playing career, winning a rubric with James and the Cavs successful 2016 arsenic an assistant. Jones joined the Lakers, James' existent team, arsenic an unofficial, unpaid subordinate of the coaching unit for the 2022-23 season.

Over 30 radical were arrested arsenic a effect of some scandals.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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