Ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was implicated in the FBI investigation into illegal gambling involving NBA players and coaches. Recently, Jones was accused of providing injury information on Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis to gamblers.
On Friday, Jones entered a plea of not guilty to providing information and benefiting from illegal poker games in a federal court in Brooklyn, per ESPN.
Jones' lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told the judge that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.” In the meantime, Jones read the indictments and acknowledged the charges brought against him. Furthermore, he understood his conditions for bail.
Jones' mother and stepfather had put up their home in Texas as collateral to secure a $200,000 bond. As a result, Jones will be out on bail as he awaits trial.
On Nov. 24, Jones will be back in court for a preliminary conference along with other defendants in the case.
For 11 seasons, Jones played in the NBA (1999-2009) and played for ten different teams. At one point, he was teammates with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Then, in 2014, Jones became a shooting consultant with the Cavaliars. Then, he became an assistant during their 2016 championship season.
During the 2022-2023 season, Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James with the Lakers.
The context involving the allegations against Damon Jones
Essentially, Jones is accused of giving sports betters the injured status of players such as James. In return, they would place bets on the opposing team to increase their odds of winning.
Jones is implicated alongside Trial Blazers head coach Chauncy Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier. Recently, the NBA met with a congressional committee looking into the matter. However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was not present during that meeting.
According to the Department of Justice, if convicted, Jones and the other defendants could spend 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.
