Who Is Damon Jones? The Other Ex-player Involved In Nba's Gambling Scandal

The FBI arrested 30-plus individuals Thursday arsenic portion of a sports betting and gambling investigation. Among those charged successful nan probe include Heat defender Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cavaliers subordinate and adjunct Damon Jones.

According to The Athletic, Jones is alleged to person sold aliases tried to profit from backstage accusation astir LeBron James conscionable days aft nan Lakers' prima collapsed nan NBA's all-time scoring grounds successful 2023. The crippled referenced by nan FBI's investigation was betwixt L.A. and nan Bucks connected Feb. 9. James did not play owed to ankle soreness. The Athletic reports James was not alert Jones shared accusation astir his playing position pinch bettors.

Another incident involving a ”top Lakers player” occurred connected Jan. 15, 2024. Jones reportedly learned from a trainer that nan subordinate successful mobility was dealing pinch an injury. One suspect allegedly placed a $100,000 wager based connected that information, but nan subordinate ended up participating successful nan crippled and performing well. The defendant, Marves Fairley, reportedly requested Jones salary backmost nan $2,500 he was fixed for nan information, according toThe Athletic.

At nan time, Jones was not an charismatic personnel of nan Lakers' staff, though he was granted support to do pregame activity pinch James. The Athletic reports he had entree to nan locker room, squad hotels and moreover nan squad plane.

Jones is simply a longtime friend of James making love backmost to their clip successful Cleveland, wherever they were teammates from 2005 to '08.

In summation to those instances, nan FBI alleges that Jones and Billups were progressive successful rigging poker games, utilizing poker trays pinch hidden cameras, typical interaction lenses and x-ray tables that were abel to publication face-down cards successful bid to summation an advantage.

Jones, 49, is simply a Galveston, Texas autochthonal who played assemblage hoops astatine nan University of Houston from 1994 to '97. He was not selected successful nan 1997 NBA draft, but went connected to person an 11-year profession successful nan NBA from 1998 to 2009. He played for 10 different teams, including nan Cavaliers, Nets, Celtics, Bucks, Heat, Grizzlies, Pistons, Kings, Mavericks and Warriors. His past play successful nan convention was successful '09 successful Milwaukee.

Jones averaged 6.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists crossed 657 profession games successful nan NBA. After retirement, he joined nan Cavaliers' coaching unit arsenic a shooting consultant. In 2016, he was added to Tyronn Lue's coaching unit successful Cleveland for nan NBA playoffs, nan twelvemonth successful which nan Cavaliers won a championship. He was named a full-time adjunct nan pursuing season.

Somewhat famously, during his clip arsenic an adjunct successful Cleveland successful 2016, Jones was progressive successful a bizarre incident which resulted successful a one-game suspension for J.R. Smith aft nan defender threw basking crockery astatine Jones. Smith, erstwhile retelling nan communicative during an quality connected The Old Man and nan Three podcast, said that Jones was "playing" pinch him and tried to make him spill his soup. Smith said he was dealing pinch worldly astatine location and struggling connected nan court, and decided to propulsion his basking crockery connected Jones arsenic a intends of school him lesson. Ultimately, not overmuch came from nan incident extracurricular of Smith's one-game suspension, and nan two-time NBA champ said that Jones apologized to him nan adjacent day.

More connected NBA Gambling Investigation