NEW YORK (AP) — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sting that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including alleged gangsters and other basketball figures.
A hearing for Jones is scheduled for April 28 in Brooklyn federal court, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. It was originally scheduled for May 6, but was rescheduled at the request of the parties.
Jones, 49, had previously pleaded not guilty to separate charges accusing him of profiteering from rigged poker games and providing non-public information to sports bettors about injuries to stars Le Bron James And Anthony Davis.
Jones is charged in both cases with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
A message seeking comment was left for his attorney, Kenneth Montgomery. He told a judge during Jones’ arraignment in November that they “may have been involved in plea negotiations.”
Jones, a former teammate of James, was arrested last October along with the Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozierand others, including a sports gambler accused of cashing in on injury information.
Jones was one of three people charged in both poker and sports betting. He remains free on bail.
A native of Galveston, Texas, Jones earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008, and Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.
Prosecutors allege Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and would not play in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Become a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”
James was not listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but according to prosecutors, the NBA’s all-time leader was later ruled out of the game due to a lower-body injury, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.
On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, sports gambler Marves Fairley paid Jones about $2,500 for a tip that Davis, then the Lakers’ forward and center, would get limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.
Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder winning, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scoring 27 points and collecting 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers victory, prompting Fairley to demand his $2,500 fee back, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors say Jones was one of several former NBA players who lured unwitting players to poker games that were rigged using modified sliding machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray machines built into the table.
According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons, where he was instructed to cheat by keeping a close eye on others involved in the scheme. His instructor compared these people to James and NBA All-Star Steph Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.
In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted, “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”
The poker scheme often used illegal poker games organized by New York crime families, forcing them to share some of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.
In turn, members of these families also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and theft, to ensure debt repayment and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.
Jones, a hot hand from beyond the three-point arc, once proclaimed himself “the best shooter in the world” in an interview with insidehoops.com. He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.
After his playing days, he worked as a shooting consultant for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team led by James won the NBA championship in 2016.
