LeBron James injury information leaked to bettors, indictment suggests

A shocking new indictment has been filed against former NBA player Damon Jones, alleging that he leaked crucial information about LeBron James’ injury status to sports bettors while associated with the Los Angeles Lakers back in February 2023.

The federal indictment does not implicate James in any wrongdoing, focusing instead on Jones and others involved in defrauding betting companies.

Jones, who previously played alongside James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, was serving as an unofficial coach for the Lakers during the mentioned game in Los Angeles in February 2023.

A spokesperson for James declined to provide any comments to CNBC regarding the matter.

The indictment refers to an unnamed Player 3.

According to the document, Jones was in communication with Co-Conspirator 9 on the morning of a crucial game between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks where he shared insider information about Player 3’s absence due to injury.

Despite Player 3 not being listed on the NBA’s official injury report, he did not play in the game as Jones had indicated.

James, who was eventually ruled out of the game with a lower-body injury to his ankle, had no knowledge that his injury status would be exploited for betting purposes.

The game resulted in a victory for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Lakers, with Milwaukee entering the game as the favorite by 8 points according to various oddsmakers.

An individual familiar with James’ situation confirmed that James was unaware of the potential misuse of his injury information for gambling.

— Additional reporting by CNBC’s Jessica Golden