According to league sources, the NBA is stepping up its internal investigation into suspected illicit gambling by demanding that multiple clubs hand in cellphones and other records. Carried out via outside counsel, the movement follows recent federal indictments and a growing congressional investigation.
Reports say the league-hired law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz has contacted team personnel and asked for document, communication, and mobile device storage and production. Ten or more Los Angeles Lakers, including long-time LeBron James associates, assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, are among those asked to cooperate and surrender their phones.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) levelled up its efforts after some well-known arrests made in October. Former player and coach Damon Jones was charged with handing confidential injury information and running a large mafia-connected poker scheme. Along with him, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups, were also indicted.
Prosecutors claim that Damon Jones, through his connections inside the Lakers organization, provided confidential information to the gamblers, including unpublished injury information reports of the players. An NBA representative mentioned that the league’s assistance with law enforcement is official and voluntary. He further added that, as it is already common in these types of investigations, some people were asked to retain documents and papers, and everyone has been quite cooperative.
The accusations create troubling questions regarding competitive integrity. According to federal filings, games including the Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers may have been affected by insider betting.
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Though none of the Lakers’ current players have been listed in the indictments, the probe’s emphasis on the team’s inner circle indicates the NBA is leaving no stone unturned. Observers claim this investigation might force a reckoning on the way the league deals with gambling risk, injury revelations, and off-court relations.