Defendant Allegedly Leaked Inside Info on Lebron to Bettors

Damon Jones is among those implicated in FBI bust
Posted Oct 24, 2025 11:58 AM CDT
Defendant Allegedly Leaked Inside Info on Lebron to Bettors
Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James sits on the bench during the first half of an NBA game against the Golden State Warriors, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

LeBron James is not one of the NBA figures implicated in the FBI's gambling bust this week. One of the defendants, however, is accused of leaking inside information about an injury to James that paid off handsomely. How things allegedly played out:

  • In 2023, former NBA player Damon Jones—while serving as an unofficial assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers—allegedly tipped off a co-conspirator that James would miss a February game against the Milwaukee Bucks because of an injury, reports CNBC.
  • "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!" Jones texted a co-conspirator, per the indictment. "Bet enough so Djones can eat ... now!" James did indeed sit out, and the Bucks won the game.

  • The indictment claims Jones also passed along similar non-public details about another Lakers star at the time, Anthony Davis. In one case, though, the feds say Jones cost a bettor $100,000 because Davis ended up unexpectedly playing despite an ankle injury, per CBS Sports. The bettor then asked for a refund on a $2,500 fee paid to Jones, but Jones refused to pay, according to the indictment.
  • To be clear, neither James nor Davis, who is now with the Dallas Mavericks, is accused of any wrongdoing. Jones is charged alongside NBA player Terry Rozier and four others with defrauding betting companies and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
  • The indictment details how Jones (who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers) allegedly sourced injury updates from team trainers and relayed them through a network of associates, who then acted on the information in the betting market.
  • Another facet of the investigation: rigged poker games.

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