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Former NBA Player Damon Jones Set to Become First to Plead Guilty in FBI’s Basketball Betting Probe
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Damon Jones is set to plead guilty in the federal gambling case that rocked the NBA this fall, the Associated Press reports.
The 49-year-old former NBA player and assistant coach previously pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges in separate cases. The indictments alleged he profited from rigged poker games and giving sports bettors undisclosed information about injuries to star players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Jones was arrested in October along with Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier in a sweep that included more than 30 people.
He is scheduled in court for a change-of-plea hearing on May 6 in Brooklyn federal court.
The indictments represented the culmination of a years-long investigation into nationwide gambling operations. It was known Rozier was under investigation as early as January 2025. Eventually, he, Jones and Billups were the biggest names caught up in the scandal, but Jones may have been the most concerning for the NBA.
In one of the indictments, Jones, identified as an unofficial assistant coach of the Lakers, allegedly sent text messages to associates on January 9, 2023 that a member of the team, identified as “Player 3,” would be sitting out against the Bucks that night. The unnamed player was noted to be a former teammate of Jones, pointing clearly to James. His text read, “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.” James did not play in the game.
Jones was an assistant with the Cavaliers from 2016 to ‘18, and his association with the Lakers during that time raises even more concerns, especially if he was using his position to give non-public information to gamblers.
This scandal came 18 months after the NBA banned former Raptors forward Jontay Porter for disclosing non-public information to gamblers, betting on NBA games and “limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes.”
Jones’s guilty plea will be the first of a scandal that we have not heard the last of.
More on NBA Gambling Investigation From Sports Illustrated
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.
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