Former NBA Player Damon Jones Ensnared In FBI Gambling Probe

According to ABC News, Jones wasn’t just placing a few friendly wagers on March Madness brackets. No, he’s accused of something far more serious—allegedly feeding inside information to co-defendants who then used that intel to place NBA bets. You know, the kind of thing that makes Adam Silver’s eye twitch and sends legal teams scrambling.

But wait, there’s more. Per CNN, Jones allegedly got tangled up in a separate scheme involving illegal poker games across New York, Florida, and Nevada. And get this—these weren’t your buddy’s basement card games with pizza and cheap beer. These games allegedly involved members of at least three New York mafia families. Yeah, you read that right. The mob.

Jones reportedly asked for a $2,500 payment just to show up to one of these games. That’s a hefty appearance fee for someone who averaged 4.6 points per game during his playing days.

The Cavaliers Connection

Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA, bouncing around 10 different teams like a pinball. After hanging up his sneakers in 2012, he landed on Tyronn Lue’s coaching staff in Cleveland from 2016 to 2018. Those were the post-championship glory days when the Cavs were still riding high from that historic 2016 Finals comeback.

Now, instead of drawing up plays, Jones is dealing with federal charges. It’s a gut-wrenching fall from grace for someone who was once part of an NBA coaching staff.

Part Of a Bigger Problem

Jones isn’t alone in this mess. He’s one of six people charged Thursday, including Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier. The probe also connects back to the Jontay Porter saga—remember when the Raptors forward got banned for life after betting on games and manipulating his own playing time? Yeah, that whole ugly situation.

FBI Director Kash Patel is currently holding a press conference to discuss the arrests, and you can bet the NBA is paying close attention. This isn’t just about one guy making bad decisions. It’s about protecting the integrity of the game that millions of fans love.

The NBA has always had a complicated relationship with gambling, especially since sports betting became legal in many states. Commissioner Adam Silver has been vocal about his concerns with prop bets and the potential for abuse. Well, here’s Exhibit A through Z of why those concerns are justified.

The Fallout

It is hard not to feel conflicted about stories like this. On one hand, there’s anger—these guys had incredible opportunities and allegedly threw them away for quick cash. On the other hand, there’s genuine sadness. Jones built a basketball career, earned respect as a coach, and now faces federal charges that could derail everything.

For Cavaliers fans who remember Jones on the sidelines during those competitive years, this has to sting. The organization has been through its share of controversies, but seeing a former assistant coach arrested in a federal gambling probe? That’s a new low.

As this story develops, one thing is crystal clear: the NBA’s gambling problem isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s getting worse. And until the league, law enforcement, and gambling operators figure out how to protect the game’s integrity, we’re going to keep seeing stories like this one.