NBA requests Lakers staff devices following DOJ allegations of insider injury data use

The NBA has asked multiple teams to hand over cell phones and documents as part of an investigation into illegal sports betting, reports The Athletic. The move follows the Department of Justice's indictment of three NBA figures for allegedly providing nonpublic injury information to bettors, a scandal that renewed industry concern over compliance vulnerabilities.

The NBA retained Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the investigation. The law firm has collected cell phones from Los Angeles Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, both of whom cooperated with the request. Neither was charged nor named in the DOJ indictments. Reports say at least 10 Lakers employees were expected to be asked to surrender phones and phone records.

“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.”

The request followed the DOJ’s federal indictment of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones. The DOJ said seven NBA games saw high-stakes wagers after nonpublic information was disclosed to bettors.

Allegations involving confidential injury information

Prosecutors alleged that Jones provided internal injury details involving Lakers players and, on at least one occasion, received information from an unnamed trainer. The players were not named in the indictment, but it is speculated that they are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jones pleaded not guilty to two charges on November 6 and was released on a $200,000 bond, prohibiting gambling and contact with organized crime.

One of the games referenced by prosecutors involved a March 23, 2023, matchup in which Rozier allegedly told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he planned to exit early due to an injury. The indictment stated that Laster shared the information, and wagers totaling roughly $200,000 were placed on Rozier’s “under” prop bets. Rozier played nine minutes and did not return, and the indictment said Rozier and Laster later counted cash winnings at Rozier’s home.

Another game cited involved a March 24, 2023, Portland Trail Blazers–Chicago Bulls contest during which an unnamed NBA coach allegedly informed a friend that the team would rest several players for draft-position purposes before that information became public.

Rozier and Jones were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Congressional oversight and league response

Congress sought information from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after the indictments. A bipartisan letter signed by six members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce requested details on past incidents, the league’s measures to prevent the disclosure of nonpublic information, regulatory gaps that may allow illegal schemes, and how the NBA is reviewing its relationships with sports betting companies.

Questions also resurfaced about a March 2023 league inquiry into suspicious betting patterns involving Rozier. Silver said the NBA evaluated the matter at the time. “Terry, at the time, cooperated and gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. We ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence — despite that aberrational behavior — to move forward,” Silver said.

In a separate appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, Silver discussed sports wagering oversight, saying: “I think, probably, there should be more regulation, frankly. I wish there were federal legislation rather than state by state.”

The league circulated a memo stating that the spread of legal betting, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of new wagering formats present “an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players, and their fans.”

According to The Athletic, the NBA is considering substantial changes to team rules on reporting injury statuses. The league placed Billups and Rozier on leave and said, “The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” adding that it will continue cooperating with federal authorities.