LeBron James was dragged into the FBI’s sports gambling investigation by former teammate and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones.
Jones is pictured center with James (left) and then-Cavaliers head coach Tyron Lue in a photo dated June 6, 2017.
Jones is one of the high-profile NBA players and coaches arrested in a massive FBI sports gambling sting on Thursday.
According to the New York Post, Jones sold information to a co-defendant about James’ injury status on Feb. 9, 2023.
The text message urged the co-defendant to place a large bet on the Lakers’ opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, because James was not playing that night due to an injury.
The information about James’ injury status was not officially announced before game time.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!,” Jones texted, according to the indictment.
Jones is a longtime friend of James who played with him on the Cleveland Cavaliers early in James’ career.
In 2024, Jones allegedly received a tip from a Lakers coach that one of the “Lakers’ best players” would be out with an injury before a Jan. 15, 2024 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jones (pictured left with James in 2007) passed the information on to co-defendant Eric “Spook” Earnest, who shared the tip with online sports bettor Marves Fairley.
Fairley allegedly gave Jones $2,500 for the information. Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Lakers to lose the game.
But the star player (believed to be Anthony Davis) ended up playing and the Lakers won the game.
A furious Fairley demanded his $2,500 back from Jones. It isn’t clear if Jones returned the money.
Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, announced more than a dozen high-profile NBA arrests in a press conference on Thursday morning.
“Individuals such as Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and Terry Rozier were taken into custody today, former, current NBA players and coaches,” Patel said.
“This is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years.”
?BREAKING: Kash?Patel names multiple high-profile NBA arrests in an alleged illegal gambling ring that spanned years.
More than 30 people were arrested in the case — including current and former NBA stars and suspected members of the American branch of the Sicilian Mafia, La… pic.twitter.com/EXuu2VxylP
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2025
