Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones will plead guilty to charges of selling insider info about players’ injuries to sports bettors, ABC reported Thursday.
Jones, 49, requested a hearing to change his plea and is expected to appear before a judge in Brooklyn on April 28. Jones, who originally pleaded not guilty to two federal counts in November, would be the first of six defendants in the case to enter a guilty plea.
Prosecutors have accused Jones and others of helping gamblers make wagers based on non-public injury information about such NBA stars as LeBron James and Anthony Davis when he worked with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jones was an NBA journeyman who played for 10 teams over 11 seasons from 1998-2009.
He was working as James’ personal shooting coach on Feb. 9, 2023 when prosecutors allege that he texted an unnamed co-conspirator to put a “big bet” on the Milwaukee Bucks before the official word came out that James would not play.
Former NBA guard Terry Rozier, who was waived last week by the Miami Heat, has pleaded not guilty in the case and has asked a judge to dismiss his charges. He has a hearing scheduled later this month.
Jones also is facing charges in another investigation by the Department of Justice involving rigged poker games, an investigation that also swept up former Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups. Jones has pleaded not guilty in that case.
