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The NBA is reportedly searching for cell phones and other property from several teams as part of its investigation into illegal sports betting.
“The NBA hired an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public,” an NBA spokesperson told The Athletic. “As is typical in these types of investigations, several different individuals and organizations were asked to preserve documents and records. All have cooperated fully.”
Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, who have close ties to superstar LeBron James, have reportedly already cooperated in turning over their cellphones to outside law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which has been hired by the NBA to help conduct the investigation.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) defends during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Pak Gazette Digital has reached out to the NBA and the Lakers for comment.
The NBA is in the midst of a scandal that resulted in the federal indictment of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones for their alleged roles in a criminal gambling scheme last month.
Congress got involved when the House Commerce Committee sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Friday requesting information and a report for information related to the scandal. The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The committee seeks five key points of information from Silver:
“1. Details regarding alleged fraudulent, illegal and betting practices involving NBA players, coaches and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment; as well as prior cases, some of which are identified above,” the letter states.
“2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of non-public information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA Code of Conduct for Players and Coaches effectively prohibits illegal activities, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the loopholes, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. 5. Whether and how the NBA is re-evaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies.”
The letter also references comments made by Silver during an appearance Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” where the commissioner expressed support for greater federal regulation of sports betting.
“I think, frankly, there probably should be more regulation,” Silver said. “I wish there was federal legislation instead of state-by-state. I think you have to control the amount of promotion, the amount of publicity surrounding it.”
The Justice Department listed seven NBA games in which high-risk bets were placed after non-public information was revealed to players.
Rozier’s alleged involvement occurred in a game on March 23, 2023, when he told childhood friend Deniro Laster that he was leaving the game early, citing an injury, so Laster could make bets based on the information. Neither Hornets management nor betting companies were informed of Rozier’s scheme, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.
HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI SPORTS BETTING INVESTIGATION
Laster then allegedly sold that information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed bets totaling approximately $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” bets to hit both parlay bets and straight bets. After Rozier played only nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted the cash winnings at Rozier’s Charlotte home about a week later, according to an indictment.
The Justice Department says the player was ultimately ruled out with a lower-body injury. LeBron James did not play that night due to an ankle injury that kept him out for two more games. The game in question was played two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Another game the Justice Department mentioned was a matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier played nine minutes, and a co-conspirator, “an NBA coach at the time,” allegedly told an old friend, who is also a defendant in the rigged poker scheme, that the Blazers would “go down” that night to get a better draft pick and sit some of the team’s best players. The rest of the players had not yet been public information.
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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
Rozier and Jones were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Rozier and Billups were immediately suspended from their teams, “and we will continue to cooperate with relevant authorities.”
“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.
