NBA Investigating Lakers After Alleged Betting Leak Linked to LeBron James

the NBA has opened its own internal review into allegations of leaked injury information involving LeBron James. The move comes shortly after the franchise was formally mentioned in the FBI’s ongoing investigation into fraudulent betting activity.

Lakers named in FBI inquiry

According to the federal investigation, a betting group placed wagers against the Lakers during the 2022–23 season after receiving early knowledge that LeBron James would not play in a specific game. That information was allegedly obtained before it became public, allowing bets to be placed with privileged insight.

The primary focus of the leak is former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, who worked on staff in Cleveland and had a longstanding personal and professional relationship with James. Jones is suspected of having access to sensitive Lakers information during the time in question, although LeBron himself has never been considered a suspect in the investigation.

NBA requesting devices and internal records

As part of the league’s independent review, the NBA has reportedly requested documents, text records, emails, and phone data from at least 10 Lakers employees, particularly individuals closely connected to James and team operations.

Some staff members have already voluntarily surrendered their phones, including:

• Mike Mancias, longtime personal trainer for James
• Randy Mims, an executive administrator hired by the franchise due to his close relationship with the four-time MVP

The league is expected to evaluate not only communication logs but also the extent of each individual’s contact with Damon Jones. The internal audit will help determine whether sensitive team information was knowingly shared or accessed improperly.

Investigation ongoing

At this stage, the Lakers organization has not been accused of wrongdoing, and the NBA review is considered a standard due-diligence move in conjunction with the FBI’s larger criminal inquiry. Still, the situation marks one of the highest-profile sports betting cases involving an active NBA team in recent years, and the league has emphasized that protecting the integrity of competition remains a top priority.

More findings are expected as the investigation develops.