AND MORE BREAKING NEWS. NOW, AN NBA HEAD COACH AND PLAYER CHARGED IN A SPRAWLING SPORTS BETTING AND MAFIA BACKED POKER SCHEME, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS HEAD COACH IS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO FIX HIGH STAKES POKER GAMES IN LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK AND MIAMI THAT WERE BACKED BY ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILIES. MIAMI HEAT GUARD TERRY ROZIER IS ACCUSED OF PASSING INSIDE INFORMATION TO GAMBLERS WHO USED IT TO PLACE WAGERS ON NBA PLAYERS AND GAMES. BOTH HAVE BEEN PLACED ON LEAVE FROM THEIR TEAMS. THE NONPUBLIC INFORMATION INCLUDED, WHEN SPECIFIC PLAYERS WOULD BE SITTING OUT, FUTURE GAMES OR WHEN THEY WOULD PULL THEMSELVES OUT EARLY FOR PURPORTED INJURIES OR ILLNESSES. ALSO NAMED FORMER BUCKS GUARD DAMON JONES, FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY JONES SHARED INSIDE INFORMATION SO BETTORS COULD CASH IN. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JAMES STRATTON WITH HOW JONES IS LINKED TO A BUCKS GAME IN 2023, AND THE INDICTMENT SAYS JONES, ROZIER AND OTHERS SHARED INSIDER INFO SO BETTORS COULD MAKE SUCCESSFUL BETS. THEN, PROSECUTORS SAY BETTORS PAID THEM FOR THE INFO THAT THEY GAVE, INCLUDING INFO THAT LEBRON JAMES WOULD SIT OUT THIS FEBRUARY 9TH, 2023 GAME AGAINST THE BUCKS. VIDEO WE HAVE YOU CAN SEE SHOWS LEBRON ON THE SIDELINES. PROSECUTORS SAY JONES WAS AN UNOFFICIAL ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE LAKERS IN 2023. LEBRON LISTED AS QUESTIONABLE WITH AN ANKLE INJURY AT 11 A.M., ACCORDING TO THE NBA INJURY REPORT THAT WE OBTAINED. ENDED UP NOT PLAYING THAT NIGHT AGAINST THE BUCKS. PROSECUTORS DIDN’T NAME LEBRON DIRECTLY, BUT SAY JONES TEXTED, QUOTE, GET A BIG BET ON MILWAUKEE TONIGHT BEFORE INFORMATION IS OUT TONIGHT. BUT ENOUGH. BET ENOUGH RATHER SO D JONES CAN EAT NOW. COINCIDENTALLY, JONES PLAYED FOR THE BUCKS IN TWO STINTS. HE PLAYED A FULL SEASON IN THE 2003 2004 SEASON AND 18 GAMES IN 2008 AND 2009, ALL FOR THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS. OKAY, JAMES, SO DID LEBRON KNOW THAT JONES WAS GIVING AWAY THE INFO FOR PROFIT THAT PROSECUTORS ALLEGE? THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS TONIGHT LEBRON JAMES DIDN’T KNOW AN ATTORNEY FOR DAMON JONES NOT YET LISTED IN FEDERAL COU
Former Bucks guard, NBA assistant coach indicted in nationwide insider betting scheme
A federal indictment says Damon Jones shared info that LeBron James was not playing in a 2023 Bucks game, telling bettors to bet on Milwaukee
Updated: 6:05 PM CDT Oct 23, 2025
Six people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were charged Thursday with participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said.Players are accused of altering their performance or taking themselves out of games early, affecting the players’ stats for a game.Also included, former Bucks guard and NBA assistant coach Damon Jones, for allegedly sharing insider information to help bettors make successful wagers, including details about a Bucks game in 2023.At the time, prosecutors say Jones was an “unofficial” assistant coach for the Lakers and that he gave insider information about LeBron James to bettors in 2023 and 2024. On Feb. 9, 2023, the Bucks played the Los Angeles Lakers in LA. James was listed as questionable with an ankle injury, according to the NBA injury report 12 News Investigates obtained. “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to now,” Jones allegedly texted a co-conspirator, according to the complaint. Later, video shows LeBron did not play.Prosecutors did not name James directly, but he is the only Lakers player listed as questionable who did not play that night, according to the injury report. Coincidentally, Jones played for the Milwaukee Bucks in two stints. He played a full season for the Bucks in 2003-2004 and 18 games for the team in 2008-2009.The Athletic reports that LeBron James didn’t know about the insider information. An attorney for Damon Jones is not yet listed in federal documents to reach for comment.The Hearst TV National Desk contributed to this report.Top Headlines’They were tapping my phone for 6 weeks’: FBI raids Riverwest man’s homeUSPS workers accused of stealing Menards rebates from mail1 dead in triple shooting; Milwaukee police search for shooterWATCH Parents charged in death of 4-year-old son, abuse of twin sister
MILWAUKEE —
Six people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were charged Thursday with participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said.
Players are accused of altering their performance or taking themselves out of games early, affecting the players’ stats for a game.
Also included, former Bucks guard and NBA assistant coach Damon Jones, for allegedly sharing insider information to help bettors make successful wagers, including details about a Bucks game in 2023.
At the time, prosecutors say Jones was an “unofficial” assistant coach for the Lakers and that he gave insider information about LeBron James to bettors in 2023 and 2024. On Feb. 9, 2023, the Bucks played the Los Angeles Lakers in LA. James was listed as questionable with an ankle injury, according to the NBA injury report 12 News Investigates obtained.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now,” Jones allegedly texted a co-conspirator, according to the complaint.
Later, video shows LeBron did not play.
Prosecutors did not name James directly, but he is the only Lakers player listed as questionable who did not play that night, according to the injury report.
Coincidentally, Jones played for the Milwaukee Bucks in two stints. He played a full season for the Bucks in 2003-2004 and 18 games for the team in 2008-2009.
The Athletic reports that LeBron James didn’t know about the insider information. An attorney for Damon Jones is not yet listed in federal documents to reach for comment.
The Hearst TV National Desk contributed to this report.
Top Headlines
WATCH Parents charged in death of 4-year-old son, abuse of twin sister