Former NBA player uses parents' home for collateral after pleading not guilty in FBI gambling case

Former NBA subordinate and manager Damon Jones pleaded not blameworthy to charges of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and wealth laundering that stemmed from 2 abstracted amerciable gambling cases. 

To stay free, helium utilized his parent and stepfather's location arsenic collateral for a $200,000 bond.

Jones is 1 of 3 defendants successful some the alleged poker ringing and NBA betting cases. He is alleged to person told idiosyncratic adjacent to him that a "prominent" subordinate connected the Lakers, wide speculated to beryllium LeBron James, would not play Feb. 9, 2023, earlier the accusation was public. 

James did not play successful the crippled owed to an ankle injury. The crippled successful question took spot 2 days aft James scored 38 points to go the NBA's all-time starring scorer.

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A sketch of erstwhile NBA subordinate Damon Jones (left) with his lawyer Kenneth Montgomery lasting earlier Judge Ramon Reyes successful national tribunal successful New York Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Jones pleaded not blameworthy to gambling charges. (Jane Rosenberg)

Jones besides allegedly gave evident wrong accusation astir different "one of the Lakers' champion players" 11 months later, speculated to beryllium Anthony Davis, regarding an wounded that was apt to impact his performance. That yet backfired due to the fact that the subordinate "performed well," and the Lakers won.

Jones is besides alleged to person taken portion in, and benefited from, rigged poker games, being utilized arsenic a "face card," on with Chauncey Billups, to lure victims into playing with celebrities.

Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were arrested arsenic portion of an alleged amerciable poker scheme. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images; Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

HOW CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, DAMON JONES WERE ALLEGEDLY USED TO COERCE VICTIMS INTO ILLEGAL POKER GAMES

In effect to being coached connected however to cheat, Jones replied, "Lol antheral y'all telephone Djones successful origin y'all cognize I cognize what I'm doing!!" according to the Department of Justice.

Despite being undrafted retired of Houston successful 1997, Jones played 11 seasons successful the NBA. The explanation of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and made much than $20 cardinal successful his career. Throughout his time, helium was teammates with salient stars, including James, during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He besides spent a play with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal with the Miami Heat.

He became a manager pursuing his playing career, winning a rubric with James and the Cavs successful 2016 arsenic an assistant. Jones joined the Lakers, James' existent team, arsenic an unofficial, unpaid subordinate of the coaching unit for the 2022-23 season.

LeBron James, left, talks with Cavaliers caput manager Tyronn Lue (not pictured) and erstwhile teammate Damon Jones, right, during an off-day signifier earlier the Golden State Warriors played the Cleveland Cavaliers successful Game 3 of the NBA Finals astatine Quicken Loans Arena successful Cleveland June 6, 2017.  (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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More than 30 radical person been arrested successful some investigations frankincense far. Jones is owed backmost successful tribunal Nov. 24.

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