Did FBI Agents Visit LeBron James Amid NBA Gambling Probe? Debunking Viral Claim

There are rumors surrounding LA Lakers star LeBron James amid the NBA's massive gambling scandal.

On Thursday, the FBI arrested Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups for his alleged role in rigged gambling schemes. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also arrested for allegedly being involved in illegal sports betting.

Speculations about James' involvement were fueled on Friday by a post by The Spectator Inbox, which is a parody account on X.

"JUST IN: FBI agents reportedly paid a visit to LeBron James earlier today. Details remain unclear," the post read.

The Spectator Inbox

@spectatorinbox

JUST IN: FBI agents reportedly paid a visit to LeBron James earlier today. Details remain unclear.

The tweet blew up with over 15,000 likes and 1.6 million views in around five hours. Fans may have thought that the tweet came from The Spectator Index, which is a global news account with three million followers on X.

As of this writing, there is no legitimate report from a reputable source about James being investigated by the authorities.

However, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press conference on Thursday that more arrests could still come as the scandal spanned "years" and was held in 11 states.

Damon Jones allegedly sold LeBron James' injury details

The third notable NBA personality arrested on Thursday is Damon Jones, a former player and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jones played with LeBron James with the Cavs for three seasons from 2005 until 2008. In the four-time champion's second stint with Cleveland, Jones was an assistant to Tyronn Lue.

Jones, who has a close relationship with James, also had restricted access to the LA Lakers during the 2022-23 season. NY Post's Ben Kochman and Joe Marino described Jones' role that year as "unofficial assistant coach."

According to the FBI investigation, Jones allegedly sold or tried to profit from non-public information about James' injury. The indictment has also named co-conspirators Eric Earnest and Marves Fairley as trying to profit from the insider information.

"Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!" Jones texted, according to the indictment.

The game referenced in the FBI investigation is the Feb. 9, 2023, match between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, which James missed due to an ankle soreness. Jones also allegedly shared information on another "top Lakers player" in a game in January 2024.

According to The Athletic on Thursday, LA has declined to comment on the situation. However, a league source said that LeBron James was unaware of Jones sharing non-public information about his injury.