Ex-NBA player and coach Damon Jones pleads guilty to gambling charges

[p]Jones, 49, was charged over his alleged role in a scheme that prosecutors say provided inside information on injuries and game absences to bettors between December 2022 and March 2024.[/p][p]In one instance, he shared that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] would not play due to injury in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles Lakers[/a] game against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Milwaukee Bucks[/a] before that information was made public.[/p][p]Jones initially denied the charges but pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a New York court. Sentencing is scheduled for January 2027.[/p][p][b]"I would like to sincerely apologise to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association," [/b]he said during the hearing, according to US media.[/p][p]Jones is the first of six defendants to plead guilty in the case, which includes Miami Heat guard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rozier-terry/KCISA9o5/"]Terry Rozier[/a].[/p][p][b]Federal prosecutors plan to bring further charges against Rozier, alleging that he "solicited and accepted a bribe," The New York Times reported.[/b][/p][embed guid="1c34f0bc-7519-499d-82de-8c9a971ae770" url="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/2049103585867104407" social-type="twitter" /][p]Jones was expected to plead guilty later Tuesday in a second, separate case involving a national network of mafia-linked, rigged poker games.[/p][p]Around 30 people participated in the scheme, which used highly sophisticated cheating equipment, including X-ray tables, and Jones allegedly used his fame to lure in victims.[/p][p]Jones had a modest playing career across 11 different teams, notably the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland Cavaliers[/a] from 2005 to 2008, where he played alongside four-time NBA champion James.[/p][p]He later became an assistant coach, working again for the Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018 during James's second stint in Ohio.[/p][p]Jones served as James's personal coach during the 2022/23 season after the star joined the Lakers, without being employed by the team.[/p]