Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty to charges relating to his alleged involvement in illegal gambling rings, according to recent court filings. Jones initially pleaded not guilty on Nov. 6, but has requested a change-of-plea hearing, according to CBS News.
When reached for comment, Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told ABC News that his client is “not cooperating.”
Jones was arrested by the FBI in October, along with former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, as part of a wide-ranging investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged card games.
According to the indictment against Jones, he and his fellow co-conspirators “participated in a scheme to defraud the Betting Companies by providing, obtaining and using non-public information relating to NBA games to place and cause others to place fraudulent sports wagers for profit, and to launder the proceeds thereof.”
Jones, who went undrafted out of Houston in 1997, played for 10 teams during his 11-year NBA career, including three with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the late 2000s during which he developed a friendship with LeBron James. Following his playing days, Jones spent time as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the organization’s G League team, the Canton Charge. He also briefly worked with the Los Angeles Lakers as an unofficial coach.
During his time with the Lakers, Jones allegedly used his connection to James and then-Lakers star Anthony Davis to sell non-public information to bettors for profit.
Prior to the Lakers’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9, 2023, Jones allegedly texted his co-conspirators, “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!!”
The player in question, who is widely believed to be James, was not listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text. James was eventually ruled out due to ankle soreness and the Lakers lost the game.
On another occasion, prior to the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 15, 2024, Jones allegedly alerted his co-conspirators that a trainer informed him that Davis was injured and was either going to play limited minutes or that his performance would be affected.
According to prosecutors, Jones’ co-defendants paid him $2,500 for the information, then placed multiple bets against the Lakers, including one for six figures. Davis was later listed as probable due to an ankle injury. Not only did Davis play, but he put up 27 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes in a Lakers win. One of Jones’ co-defendants allegedly asked him to repay the $2,500 fee after the game, but Jones maintained that his information had been credible.
James had no knowledge that Jones was allegedly selling information about his injury status, according to The Athletic.
Jones and his co-defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In October, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella Jr., called the situation “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
