New York, United States — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty to federal sports gambling charges in a betting scandal involving alleged insider information on NBA games, according to a court filing submitted Thursday (Friday Manila time).
Federal prosecutors charged Jones, 49, with participating in a scheme that allegedly provided bettors with nonpublic information about player injuries and game absences between December 2022 and March 2024.
Prosecutors said Jones shared advance information in at least one instance about Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James being ruled out due to injury before the information was publicly announced.
A court filing indicated Jones will change his plea at an April 28 hearing in New York City. He initially pleaded not guilty.
Jones is the first of six defendants in the case to signal a guilty plea. The defendants include Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who has also been charged in connection with the investigation.
In a separate case, Jones faces additional charges involving alleged participation in a national illegal poker network. Prosecutors said the network involved mafia-linked gambling operations and sophisticated cheating methods, including rigged equipment. Jones has pleaded not guilty in that case.
Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA, including a stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008, where he was a teammate of LeBron James.
He later worked as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018 and served as James’ personal coach during the 2022–2023 season while James played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
