The first crack in the NBA's latest gambling scandal has appeared, and it's a former player who spent 11 seasons bouncing around the league. Damon Jones, who suited up for 10 different teams during his playing days and later served as an assistant coach, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The 49-year-old now faces a prison sentence of 21 to 27 months and has agreed to forfeit $35,000.
In a statement read in court, Jones admitted to conspiring with others to defraud sports betting companies. He confessed to using "insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player" to place bets. "I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association," Jones said.
Jones earned more than $20 million during his NBA career from 1999 to 2009, most notably playing alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. After retiring, he worked as an unofficial assistant on Darvin Ham's staff with the Los Angeles Lakers, three years removed from the team's 2019 championship run. His charges include illegal use of inside information and involvement in an allegedly rigged poker game. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2027.
Domino Effect Looms for Others
The fallout from Jones' plea could ripple through the NBA. ESPN and ABC News' Ryan Smith, appearing on Get Up, discussed the potential pressure on other figures involved in the case, including Terry Rozier and Hall of Fame point guard Chauncey Billups. "When you talk about somebody like Terry Rozier and the others involved in this case — plea deals tend to start a domino effect," Smith explained. "Other people start to come forward, they start to want their own deals, the longer you wait the worse your deals are. … Does he look at this and say, ‘Do I now make a deal? Do I now feel the pressure?’ … It’s a huge deal for the prosecution."
Billups, a former NBA champion and current head coach, was removed from the Portland Trail Blazers bench just one game into the season. Assistant Tiago Splitter took over, leading the team to a seventh seed and its first playoff appearance since 2020. The case has cast a shadow over the league, and Jones' guilty plea may be just the beginning.
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Jones' plea marks a significant step in the investigation, and all eyes are now on Rozier, Billups, and others who may be implicated. As the legal process unfolds, the NBA faces another test of its integrity and its ability to police gambling among its ranks.
