The 2025-26 NBA season is only two days old, but it’s already making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Scandals, probes, and shocking arrests have taken center stage just as the games begin. They say trouble doesn’t wait, and this week, it’s come knocking on the league’s door. One of the names caught in the storm? Former Cavaliers star and assistant coach Damon Jones.

According to ABC News, Jones has been arrested on charges of providing inside information to co-defendants who allegedly used it to place NBA wagers. The investigation is led by the Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel. Along with Jones, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is also implicated in a separate but related gambling case.

In total, six individuals were charged on Thursday, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. He faces accusations related to an illegal poker operation allegedly linked to the M-fia. For Jones, an 11-year NBA veteran, the arrest marks a troubling future. It has put him under the spotlight once again, so let’s take a look back at his life.

Who is Damon Jones? 

Damon Jones started as a basketball player in the NBA. After his retirement in 2014, he has been working as an assistant coach, most recently for the Cavs. He has also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN in 2018. He was born on August 25, 1976, in Galveston, Texas. His basketball journey began at Ball High School, where he played for the Golden Tornadoes. After graduating in 1994, he continued his basketball career at the University of Houston. During his college tenure, Jones averaged 16.4 points and 4.9 assists per game in his junior year.

He began his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) with the Black Hills Posse. His standout performance in the CBA earned him the league’s Newcomer of the Year and scoring champion titles in 1999. This success sent him straight into NBA debut with the New Jersey Nets in 1999. His stay at NBA is marked by limited stints with around 10 different teams over his 11-year NBA career.

Damon Jones family – parents, wife, children 

While no proper information about his parents is publicly available, Jones kept it within the game when it come to marriage. He shares a son, Dyllan Thompson-Jones, with former WNBA star and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Tina Thompson. Dyllan was born in May 2005, during Tina’s active playing career with the Houston Comets.

Damon Jones arrest & investigation in sports-betting

The FBI’s sports-gambling probe has shaken the NBA season to its core. It is truly a dark day for NBA. With Damon Jones there are Head Coaches and even players are charged. Jones particularly is charged  for allegedly providing inside information about NBA games to co-defendants, who then used it to place illegal bets.

Authorities revealed that Jones was trained to play his hands during the poker games, when he snapped back, saying: “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!! Let me hibachi like Gilbert Arenas.” While this is not only about Jones.

The investigation is linked to as many as 31 people, 6 of them arrested within the NBA. This is a serious concern over integrity in professional basketball. Other individuals charged include Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, with authorities describing the operation as a nationwide scheme involving dozens of participants.

What led to the Damon case? Key details of the gambling probe

The FBI really sweeped through the  investigation, opening up a vault of illegal gambling within the NBA, possibly involving players, coaches, and organized crime leaders. The probe was initiated in 2023, and triggered by unusual betting patterns observed during a March 2023 game featuring Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier who was then with the Charlotte Hornets.

Although the NBA cleared Rozier, federal authorities continued their investigation. On October 23, 2025, the FBI arrested Rozier, Damon Jones, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, among others, as part of this ongoing investigation. That took the NBA by storm. The sheer scale of the amount of arrests and money involved is appaling.

“We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “This is the insider trader saga of the NBA, that’s why we are going to take heat for this.”

The charges against Jones is directly related to allegations against Rozier. He is accused of tipping off associates about his plans to leave a game early due to a supposed injury. According to NYPD Commisioner Jessica Tisch, “Rozier exited the game after just 9 minutes, and those bets paid out, generating tens and thousands of dollars in profit. Proceeds were later delivered to his home, where the group counted their cash,”

In contrast, Chauncey Billups faces charges related to a separate but connected investigation into illegal poker games. These games were allegedly backed by major New York Mafia families, including the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese families. Billups is said to have been paid $50,000 for his involvement in one such rigged game, which is part of a larger operation involving over $7 million in losses.

Rosier is set to appear in court in Florida in the afternoon to face these charges. Chances are other accused, including Damon Jones will also face the court in the coming days.