Former 11-year NBA player Damon Jones was arrested Thursday amid charges that he allegedly disclosed privileged injury information about a “prominent” basketball player to facilitate illegal sports betting, authorities announced.

LeBron James was the prominent player, a source close to James told ESPN.

James was not accused of wrongdoing in the indictment.

Jones was one of 34 people arrested, along with Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, as part of a yearslong investigation spanning nearly a dozen states and involving tens of millions of dollars, FBI director Kash Patel said.

The investigation outlined two separate cases — one on illegal sports betting and another on rigged poker games involving the Mafia, authorities announced.

Jones was an unofficial, unpaid part of former Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham’s staff and is no longer with the team under current Lakers coach JJ Redick. Ham invited Jones to be a part of team activities after James spent the summer of 2022 with Jones present for many of his offseason workouts.

James was unaware that Jones, his former teammate and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was involved in gambling activity when Jones spent time around James and the Lakers during the 2022-23 season, the source said. The federal indictment alleges that before a Lakers game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9, 2023, Jones texted a co-conspirator to “get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight” because James was going to be out.

James, who passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the previous game on Feb. 7, 2023, would go on to miss three straight games because of soreness in his left ankle.

Jones allegedly added via text: “Bet enough so Djones can eat [too] now!!!”

Without James, Milwaukee beat the Lakers 115-106.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that the following season Jones provided nonpublic information to a co-conspirator in connection to the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 15, 2024.

The Lakers had no comment on the allegations against Jones when reached by ESPN on Thursday morning.

Speaking after practice on Thursday, Redick said the league’s anti-gambling rules have been reiterated to his team this season — independent of the FBI’s investigation.

“We’ve had two meetings on it already,” Redick said. “It’s obviously on the front of everyone’s awareness given the last two years, but other than that, there’s no other comment.”

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The biggest story in sports, let alone the NBA, was the FBI gambling probe that was announced on Thursday, which involved the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard Damon Jones among many others. 

During ESPN’s “Inside The NBA,” the panel of Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley discussed the situation, but it resulted in a bit of a heated back and forth between Smith and Barkley. 

Smith began with his lengthy take on the situation. 

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“We look at players who are involved and people who are involved, we’re surprised when you have access and you’re at the top of the game, so to speak as a coach or a player or whatever at the top of the game, you have access to millions of dollars in this league. So, it was surprising that they put themselves in that position possibly. Innocent until proven guilty,” he said.

Smith’s next point is what ticked off Barkley, who was visibly frustrated at the desk.

“I think the other part is you have to realize gambling is an addiction, so the addiction of it is what makes you make illogical decisions,” Smith continued. “… The FBI Director [Kash Patel] said, there’s a man who lost $1.8 million. That means he has a lot of money, so he has an addiction to that. Those ‘fish’ that they talked about bringing in. So, gambling is an addiction which could make you make illogical decisions regardless of your ethnic background, regardless of your physical background, regardless of your financial status. So, let’s understand that.

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“I disagree in terms of the NBA dropping the ball. This is an ongoing investigation. There’s no way that any FBI, or police even, who anyone would say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing.’ The surprise element always makes it happen so they cannot overextend the information they’re receiving.

As Smith told Barkley he would let him talk once he made his final point, Barkley couldn’t hold back.

“I wish you would because you’re making me mad right here,” Barkley said. 

“I also think that because there’s people getting speeding tickets it doesn’t mean everyone in the league speeds. So, don’t look at this group of people that started to get investigated as the entire league,” Smith concluded. 

Kenny Smith, looks on before the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers as part of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament on December 7, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images)

Then, it was Barkley’s turn to speak. 

“First of all, these are two different things,” he began. “Take Chauncey out of the equation, and the reason I’m mad at Kenny is this has nothing to do with a damn gambling addiction. This ain’t got nothing to do with addiction. These dudes are stupid. You can, under no circumstances, fix basketball games. Under no circumstances. I love to gamble. Rozier makes $26 million. Him giving people information or taking himself out of games, how much is he going to benefit taking himself out of games to hit unders? He’s making $26 million.”

Smith butted in, as he said Barkley was proving his point. 

“If you’re making $26 million to try to when $50,000, that’s illogical,” Smith said.

Barkley fired back, reiterating his belief that those involved were not gambling addicts, but rather “that’s stupidity.”

“The notion that guys are making all this money and giving information, stop that. That’s got nothing to do with addiction. It’s total stupidity on those two’s parts,” Barkley said.

O’Neal gave his take prior to the Smith and Barkley debate. He said the league gave forums to inform players about the dangers of gambling.

“All these guys knew what was at stake and I’m just ashamed that they put themselves, put their family and put the NBA in this position,” O’Neal said. “You all know the rules, we all know the letter of the law and it’s just unfortunate. Innocent until proven guilty, but usually when the FBI has something, they have you.” 

College basketball analyst Charles Barkley on air before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four championship game. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Billups, a Basketball Hall of Famer like the men on the panel, left an Oregon federal courthouse on Thursday, where he didn’t answer questions after being arrested as part of the FBI investigation. Billups was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, as he was allegedly involved in the rigged poker games investigation. 

Billups was released from custody under the conditions of turning over his passport, not contacting any of the 30-plus co-defendants charged, and not participating in any gambling activity. 

Rozier was allegedly involved in the sports gambling ring, where schemers were allegedly giving non-public information about who would be sitting out future games or when they would be pulling themselves out early for injuries or illnesses. 

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Rozier faked an injury to leave a March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier was alleged to have told co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would take himself out of the game so Laster could bet on it.

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The NBA cooperated with the investigation and placed Billups and Rozier on an immediate leave of absence. 

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