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After initially maintaining his innocence, NBA champion Damon Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after providing inside information before it was made public to benefit players.
Jones became the first NBA figure in the scandal to plead guilty: He was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Reading a prepared statement in court, he acknowledged that he conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies using “inside information I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player.”
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Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court in New York on April 28, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
Jones told someone close to him that a “prominent” Los Angeles Lakers player, widely speculated to be LeBron JamesHe would not play on February 9, 2023, before the information was public. Jones was an assistant for the team at the time.
James did not play in the game due to an ankle injury. The game was played two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Jones also allegedly gave apparent inside information about another “one of the Lakers’ best players” 11 months later, which is speculated to be Anthony Davisabout an injury that would likely affect his performance. That ultimately backfired because the player “performed well” and the Lakers won, according to officials.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, to my family, to my teammates and also to the National Basketball Association,” Jones said.
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He said the goal of the conspiracy, which unfolded between December 2022 and March 2024, was to use his inside knowledge, which prosecutors said involved non-public information about injuries to NBA stars, to make money from betting houses. He acknowledged that his actions violated the NBA’s code of conduct and also the terms of service on sports betting websites.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2027 before Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. Sentencing guidelines for conspiracy to commit wire fraud call for a sentence of 21 to 27 months in prison. Jones also agreed to forfeit $35,000. Under the conditions of his bail, he cannot gamble or get involved with organized crime figures and must obtain court approval for wire transfers of more than $10,000, unless they are for legal fees. Jones initially pleaded not guilty in November and even used his parents’ home as bail security.
Jones is also alleged to have participated in and profited from rigged poker games, using it as a “face card,” along with Chauncey Billupsto lure victims into playing with celebrities. He was one of three people charged in the NBA poker and betting cases. He also pleaded guilty to charges in that case on Tuesday.
LeBron James talks with Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue and former teammate Damon Jones during free practice before Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 6, 2017. (Carlos Ávila González/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images)
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On Monday, prosecutors said they were willing to file additional charges against current NBA player Terry Rozier, accused of pulling out of a game so bettors could collect his “less” points.
Prosecutors said they attempted to file substitute charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud during a hearing. Prosecutors said they had evidence that the former Miami heat The guard requested and received a bribe amid the alleged game plan.
Rozier filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him because his lawyers argued that the wire fraud charge is based on a theory that the Supreme Court rejected two years ago and that the government failed to prove the money laundering conspiracy allegations.
Despite going undrafted out of Houston in 1997, Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and earned more than $20 million in his career.
Throughout his career, he was teammates with prominent stars, including James, during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent one season with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups calls a play during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on February 20, 2025. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier dribbles the basketball against the Chicago Bulls during the third quarter at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on March 8, 2025. Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones is in action against the Boston Celtics in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 27. 2007. The J. Edgar Hoover Building, headquarters of the FBI, in Washington, DC, on 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 coach after his playing career, winning a title with James and the Cavs in 2016 as an assistant. Jones joined the Lakers, James’ current team, as an unofficial and unpaid member of the coaching staff for the 2022-23 season.
More than 30 people were arrested as a result of both scandals.
