Articles by Christopher Detwiler

Sports

NBA Seeks Cell Phones From Lakers as Gambling Investigation Continues

As illegal gambling accusations continue to swirl around professional sports, the NBA is now asking multiple teams to submit cell phones, among other property and documents, as part of the league’s investigation. The Athletic reported on Saturday, November 15, that the league is looking into the federal charges that were brought on last month. “The NBA engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public,” an NBA spokesman told The Athletic in a statement. “As is standard in these kinds of investigations, a number of different individuals and organizations were asked to preserve documents and records. Everyone has been fully cooperative.” This specific investigation comes at the heels of charges filed against former NBA player Damon Jones, who previously served as the shooting coach for Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James. Due to Jones’ special access to the team, the league is seeking documents, including phone records and cell phones, from at least 10 Lakers employees. Jones, 49, was arrested last month for allegedly selling private injury information to gamblers. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. League sources told The Athletic that Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims are already cooperating with authorities and have voluntarily handed over their cell phones. Neither Mancias nor Mims, 47, have been charged with a crime or are mentioned by name in any federal charging document. This investigation is the latest iteration of illegal sports gambling permeating professional sports. Last month, federal officials arrested Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat star Terry Rozier in connection to a federal gambling investigation. Both Billups, 49, and Rozier, 31, were taken into custody on Thursday, October 23. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver in response to the arrests on Friday, October 24. “So I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.” Rozier was investigated by the NBA in March of 2023, after the league was notified about unusual betting activity related to his performance in a game, but the league “did not find a violation of NBA rules” at the time, and Rozier was allowed to continue playing. Major League Baseball has also come under recent scrutiny regarding illegal sports betting by its players. Two Cleveland Guardian pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were indicted by prosecutors on Sunday, November 9 on various charges related to a sports gambling scheme. “MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,” MLB said in a statement to ESPN on November 9. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.” Before Game 2 of the 2025 World Series, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke on the partnerships between sports leagues and gambling companies, arguing that deals with those companies help sports leagues police gambling. “Once you’re in that environment where sports betting is happening, the crucial issue is access to data,” Manfred said. “That means you have to have a relationship with the sportsbooks. Like most relationships, if you want something from them, you need to give something back to them. And that’s where those relationships come from.” Along with the Lakers, the Orlando Magic was mentioned in the federal charges. According to The Athletic’s report, the team has not yet been contacted by the Department of Justice.