Former Lakers Coach Damon Jones Pleads Guilty in Sports Gambling and Rigged Poker Cases

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:35:00 +0200

Former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones has become the first of 34 defendants to plead guilty in a major federal gambling case involving NBA figures and organized crime. Jones, who coached the Lakers in 2022 and 2023 after an 11-year NBA playing career, admitted to using insider knowledge of player injuries to place bets illegally before games. Evidence showed he instructed a co-conspirator to place bets on the Milwaukee Bucks before an injury-related lineup change in a 2023 game. Jones also acknowledged participating in rigged poker games, leveraging his NBA celebrity to attract wealthy gamblers. He expressed sincere apologies to the court, his family, peers, and the NBA. Sentencing is scheduled for January, with guidelines suggesting 21–27 months for sports gambling and 63–78 months for rigged poker schemes, though prosecutors offered a 15-month reduction for an early guilty plea. Other notable NBA figures implicated include Chauncey Billups, charged with rigging underground poker