Lebron James recently sat out the 2025-26 NBA Season Opener. But that’s not the only reason he is in the news now. The Los Angeles Lakers icon has been dragged into what is now shaping into one of the biggest NBA scandals ever–involving two gambling-related operations.
As explosive details surrounding an alleged Mafia betting operation emerge, over 30 people have already been arrested. With the FBI leading the charge in the illegal gambling crackdown, prominent NBA players have also been implicated in the case.
Those accused of being involved in at least one of the schemes include Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones. They’ve all since been arrested. As a result, the NBA has put Billups and Rozier on immediate leave from their respective teams.
How is LeBron James tied to the NBA scandal?
Although the American basketball legend hasn’t been implicated in the illegal betting scandal, he has still somehow become a significant focus of the issue due to indirect connection to a certain someone. A league source with knowledge of the situation has since even told The Athletic that James had no idea that his former teammate shared information about his playing status during a particular game in 2023.
In simple words, James has been dragged to the middle of such contentious headlines due to his long-running ties with Damon Jones.
The FBI’s indictment, as cited by the Daily Mail, overtly notes that the former NBA player is LeBron’s longtime friend and ex-teammate. Beyond the their affectionate ties, Jones has been accused of dragging his pal into the mess, as he is said to have sold non-public information about the Olympic champ’s injury status, and allegedly even attempted to profit from the same.
Jones reportedly leaked the info when he was serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the LA Lakers during the 2022-23 season. The indictment further detailed that Jones’ relationship with the player granted him access to the “non-public information” about his medical status on February 9, 2023, when the team went up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Game recap indicate LeBron skipped that game due to a sore left ankle and foot.
According to official docs, Jones sent a text to his co-conspirator that James would not be playing that night, and they could “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” Bucks went on to win that game 115-106.
NBA mafia scandal: What happened?
According to two indictments sealed this week, two shocking gambling operations have come to the forefront for leaking inside information about NBA stars and rigged poker games Mafia-backed poker games.
Those accused of being involved in at least one of the schemes include Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones. They’ve all since been arrested. As a result, the NBA has put Billups and Rozier on immediate leave from their respective teams.
From the Mafia side, the Lucchese, Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese families are alleged to be involved.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the fraud as “mind-boggling,” adding, “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multiyear investigation.”
