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After initially maintaining his innocence, NBA champion Damon Jones has pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud aft giving insider accusation earlier it was made nationalist to use gamblers.
Jones became the first NBA figure successful nan ungraded to plead blameworthy — he was charged pinch conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and money laundering.
Reading a prepared connection to nan court, he acknowledged that he conspired pinch others to defraud sports betting companies by utilizing "insider accusation that I obtained arsenic a consequence of my relationships arsenic a erstwhile player."
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Former NBA subordinate and adjunct coach Damon Jones arrives astatine Brooklyn national tribunal successful New York connected April 28, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
Jones told personification adjacent to him that a "prominent" subordinate connected nan Los Angeles Lakers, wide speculated to be LeBron James, would not play Feb. 9, 2023, earlier nan accusation was public. Jones was an adjunct for nan squad astatine nan time.
James did not play successful nan crippled owed to an ankle injury. The crippled was played 2 days aft James scored 38 points to go nan NBA's all-time starring scorer.
Jones besides allegedly gave evident wrong accusation astir different "one of nan Lakers' champion players" 11 months later, speculated to be Anthony Davis, regarding an wounded that was apt to impact his performance. That yet backfired because nan subordinate "performed well," and nan Lakers won, according to authorities.
"I would for illustration to sincerely apologize to nan court, my family, my peers and besides nan National Basketball Association," Jones said.
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He said nan extremity of nan conspiracy, which ran from December 2022 to March 2024, was to usage his insider knowledge — which prosecutors opportunity progressive nonpublic accusation astir injuries to NBA stars — to make money from sportsbooks. He acknowledged that his actions violated nan NBA’s codification of behaviour and besides nan position of work connected sports betting websites.
Jones is owed to beryllium sentenced Jan. 6, 2027, earlier Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. The sentencing guidelines for conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud telephone for a reward of 21-27 months successful prison. Jones besides agreed to forfeit $35,000. Under nan conditions of his bail, he can’t bet aliases beryllium progressive pinch organized crime figures and he must get tribunal support for slope transfers of much than $10,000 unless it’s for ineligible fees. Jones initially pleaded not blameworthy successful November and moreover utilized his parents' location arsenic enslaved collateral.
Jones is besides alleged to person taken portion in, and benefited from, rigged poker games, being utilized arsenic a "face card," on with Chauncey Billups, to lure victims into playing pinch celebrities. He was 1 of 3 group charged successful some nan NBA gambling and poker cases. He pled blameworthy to charges successful that lawsuit connected Tuesday, arsenic well.
LeBron James talks pinch Cavaliers caput coach Tyronn Lue and erstwhile teammate Damon Jones during an off-day believe earlier Game 3 of nan NBA Finals astatine Quicken Loans Arena successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected June 6, 2017. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images)
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On Monday, prosecutors said they were consenting to activity further charges against existent NBA subordinate Terry Rozier, who is accused of taking himself retired of a crippled truthful bettors could rate retired connected his "under" props.
Prosecutors said they sought to record superseding charges of bribery successful sports and honorable services ligament fraud during a hearing. Prosecutors said they had grounds that nan former Miami Heat guard solicited and received a bribe amid nan alleged gambling scheme.
Rozier revenge a mobility to disregard charges against him arsenic his attorneys based on nan ligament fraud complaint is based connected a mentation that nan Supreme Court rejected 2 years agone and that nan authorities grounded to beryllium nan money laundering conspiracy claims.
Despite being undrafted retired of Houston successful 1997, Jones played 11 seasons successful nan NBA. The meaning of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and made much than $20 cardinal successful his career.
Throughout his career, he was teammates pinch salient stars, including James, during his three-year stint pinch nan Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He besides spent a play pinch Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal pinch nan Miami Heat.
Portland Trail Blazers caput coach Chauncey Billups calls a play during nan first half against nan Los Angeles Lakers astatine Moda Center successful Portland, Oregon, connected Feb. 20, 2025. Miami Heat defender Terry Rozier dribbles nan hoops against nan Chicago Bulls during nan 3rd 4th astatine Kaseya Center successful Miami, Florida, connected March 8, 2025. Cleveland Cavaliers subordinate Damon Jones is successful action against nan Boston Celtics successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Nov. 27, 2007. The J. Edgar Hoover Building, FBI headquarters, is shown successful Washington, D.C., connected 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 aft his playing career, winning a title pinch James and nan Cavs successful 2016 arsenic an assistant. Jones joined nan Lakers, James' existent team, arsenic an unofficial, unpaid personnel of nan coaching unit for nan 2022-23 season.
Over 30 group were arrested arsenic a consequence of some scandals.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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