LeBron James is facing newfound scrutiny, but not for reasons you might expect. The Los Angeles Lakers star, who has yet to play this season due to sciatica, and his close circle are being dragged into the latest developments in the NBA’s gambling-related investigations, as new details emerge about James’ former shooting coach Damon Jones.

As a part of the investigation, the league has been asked to hand over multiple documents, including phones and other records from at least 10 Lakers employees. According to various reports, Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims are among the employees cooperating with the investigations, having already handed over their cell phones to the investigators.

Mancias and Mims both have connections to LeBron James and were hired by the Lakers for this reason. Now, there is newfound scrutiny on the parties as the investigation examines their relationship with Jones. Mims has been close with LeBron since he was an up-and-coming high school star in Akron, and Mancias has been his trainer for nearly 20 years.

Jones, who had been arrested last month as part of gambling-related arrests, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, pleaded not guilty to his involvement in illegal gambling rings.

His role as an unofficial coach with the Lakers, which lasted one year, was also due to his own history with James, having been a teammate as well as an assistant coach during James’s tenures in Cleveland.

Despite having no official credentials, Jones was reportedly popular with the locker room, travelling on the team plane, and participating in card games.

This isn’t the first time that LeBron’s close circle has been the target of a gambling investigation. Maverick Carter, James’s longtime business partner, was the client of a bookie who was indicted as part of an offshore betting ring.

In 2023, Carter was accused of making false statements to investigators, but later clarified them and was not charged.

So far, James, Mancias, and Mims have not been accused or even named in any charging documents.

How Damon Jones Allegedly Used Inside Information, According to the Prosecution

Federal prosecutors allege that the scheme Damon Jones was a part of wasn’t random, but built on his access. According to them, Jones leveraged his long-standing relationship with a “prominent NBA player,” identified as Player 3, who was a teammate or coach, to position himself closely with the Lakers.

This allowed him to acquire information that wasn’t publicly available and then sell it as a commodity to bettors seeking an advantage.

There are two major incidents outlined in the case. The first incident occurred in February 2023, when Jones allegedly learned that Player 3 would not be suiting up against the Milwaukee Bucks and instructed a co-conspirator to place a “big bet” on Milwaukee before the news was made public.

Player 3 had not yet been on the injury report, but ended up missing the game. A relevant detail to keep in mind here is that LeBron James did not play that night, which adds context but doesn’t confirm Player 3’s identity.

The second example cited was nearly a year afterwards, in January 2024. Jones allegedly sold information about a different Lakers player, Player 4, having apparently learned from a trainer that the player was dealing with an injury that would cause a dip in performance during a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The government argues that these incidents reveal a pattern of Jones exploiting confidential information acquired from team sources to profit.