While the 2025-26 season has been a good one for the Los Angeles Lakers so far, the NBA is dealing with several instances of illegal sports gambling.
The Department of Justice recently filed charges against several individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, for their involvement in illegal gambling schemes.
Damon Jones was also part of the indictment because of allegations that he sold inside information regarding LeBron James’ playing status. James claims he was unaware that Jones secretly shared his information about his playing status, though the league and investigators will still do their due diligence.
To that effect, Lakers employees have reportedly been asked to provide documentation and other property to investigators, via Joe Vardon, Mike Vorkunov & Sam Amick of The Athletic:
The NBA has asked multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, to hand over documents and other property as part of its investigation into illegal sports gambling, six league sources told The Athletic.
The league, under scrutiny from Congress, is seeking new information based on the federal charges brought last month by the Department of Justice.
As a result of the charges filed against Damon Jones, a former NBA player and LeBron James’ former shooting coach who had special access to the Lakers, Wachtell investigators are expected to seek documents, including cell phones and phone records, from at least 10 Lakers employees, league sources told The Athletic. Per league sources, Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims are among the employees who are already cooperating and who voluntarily handed their cell phones over to investigators.
Both Mancias and Mims are employed by the Lakers because of their ties to James. The fresh scrutiny is expected to examine their relationship with Jones.
“The NBA engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public,” an NBA spokesman told The Athletic in a statement. “As is standard in these kinds of investigations, a number of different individuals and organizations were asked to preserve documents and records. Everyone has been fully cooperative.”
It’s good to hear the team has been compliant with the investigation thus far, though there is likely more news that will surface in the coming months.
JJ Redick says Lakers have had meetings to discuss NBA gambling rules
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that the team has met to discuss the NBA’s gambling rules, so hopefully no players or personnel surface as suspects during the ongoing investigation.
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