The unfolding gambling scandal involving the NBA includes one very big name.
Although LeBron James has not been — and by all appearances will not be — accused of any wrongdoing, inside information regarding his availability to play allegedly was used by one of the defendants in the sweeping indictment regarding wagers on NBA player prop bets.
Via TheAthletic.com, former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones shared information about James with gamblers.
From the report: “According to the indictment, Jones, a friend of James’ who was not an employee of the Lakers, sold or tried to profit from non-public information so that others could bet on it, including alleged co-conspirators Eric Earnest and Marves Fairley. It was about who would not be playing or if they would pull themselves out of games early.”
It happened on February 9, 2023. James did not play against the Bucks, due to ankle soreness. It was two days after James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
James had not yet been ruled out for the game. Jones allegedly told the others that James wouldn’t be playing, and to bet on the Bucks to win. (They did, 115-106.)
Per TheAthletic.com, James was not aware that Jones had shared the information with others.
Jones was not an official member of the Lakers organization at the time. He had played with James in Cleveland from 2005 through 2008. Jones worked with James before games, and he had access to the team’s locker room, planes, and hotels.
The situation underscores the prevalence of inside information, and the ease with which it can be misused. In the NFL, there’s a treasure trove of material, non-public information.
What is the NFL doing to safeguard it? And is it just a matter of time before we find out that, whatever the NFL is doing, it’s not working?
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