Former NBA player and ex-Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones has been arrested as part of an FBI sports-gambling probe.
According to ABC News, Jones was arrested on charges that on several occasions he gave inside information to co-defendants, who then used it to place NBA wagers.
Advertisement
One example from the indictment states that Jones allegedly texted an unnamed co-conspirator that a Los Angeles Lakers player would not play against the Milwaukee Bucks during a Feb. 9, 2023 game. The player had not been officially placed on the injury report and Jones told the other person to bet on the Bucks.
“Get a big et on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can to [sick] now!!!”
That game was one that LeBron James missed due to ankle soreness and the Lakers ended up losing.
Jones was not part of the Lakers’ organization during the 2022-23 season, but did work with James during pregame workouts and had access to team facilities, as well as planes and hotels, according to The Athletic.
James was reportedly unaware that Jones shared the information
Advertisement
In an alleged separate scheme, Jones and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were paid to be part of illegal poker games that took place in New York, Florida and Nevada involving members of several New York Mafia families. In one instance, Jones asked for an initial $2,500 payment before he attended one of the games.
Jones, Billups and Terry Rozier were among over 30 individuals arrested in connection with the FBI’s probe. Four other individuals, Eric Earnest, Marves Fairley, Shane Hennen and Deniro Laster were named in the Department of Justice’s indictment.
Billups’ involvement is reportedly not related to games he coached.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
The individuals allegedly involved in running the illegal poker games are accused of rigging contests in their favor. Individuals reportedly used rigged shuffling machines and X-ray tables to cheat other players out of money.
Advertisement
According to U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., Jones is one of three people allegedly involved in both the sports betting case and the rigged poker games.
The probe into Rozier was the same one that resulted in Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter being banned from the NBA for life, prosecutors said. Porter was investigated after unusual betting activity came in on his unders for two games. Porter left one of those contests with an injury and another with an illness, causing a number of those unders to hit.
An NBA investigation determined Porter leaked “confidential information to sports bettors,” limited his playing time in certain games for betting purposes and bet on NBA games, leading to his lifetime ban.
Jones, an 11-year NBA veteran, played for 10 teams during his career. After retiring in 2012, Jones spent time as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers from 2016-2018.
Advertisement
In a statement, the NBA announced it is placing Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups on “immediate leave from their teams” amid the federal indictments announced Thursday. The league said it is in the process of reviewing those indictments.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the statement concluded.