Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has finally broken his silence after his business manager Maverick Carter admitted to betting on sports, including NBA games, through illegal bookmakers.
“No,” When asked if he was worried about the perception of Carter’s admission, James said, via Dan Walker of the Los Angeles Times. “Because that’s the only reason he has legs, because he’s so close to me. But Maverick is his own man and at the end of the day, gambling is legal. I mean, you can just turn on your phone and do anything right now You want to do what you want. And he has nothing to do with the NBA or the NFL, so, he can do what he wants to do.”
The Washington Post reported on November 30 that Carter admitted this in a November 2021 interview with federal agents investigating bookmaker Wayne Nix.
Carter was never charged, while Knicks admitted to the following charges: He was reportedly responsible for running a massive offshore sports betting syndicate.
James and Carter were high school teammates and have multiple business partnerships, including media production company SpringHill Entertainment and minority stakes in the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club.
No violation of NBA policy
While the NBA already accepts legal gambling, they have instituted a policy that prohibits players, teams, and league officials from gambling at league games. However, the NBA does not have any jurisdiction over its players’ business managers or agents.
The National Players Association (NBPA) strictly prohibits agents from placing bets on NBA games. But since Carter is only James’ business manager and not his agent, he is under no obligation to abide by this rule.
Carter denied placing bets on anyone else’s behalf, telling federal agents that he “did not recall placing any bets” on the Lakers, according to an investigative report by The Washington Post summarizing the interview.
LeBron James’ candid review of Lakers
James gave a blunt assessment of the Lakers 20 games into the season following their 133-110 loss to the rising Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I don’t know what we are,” James said in the locker room as the Lakers sat seventh in the Western Conference with an 11-9 record. “How? “We don’t have a group yet. “
James lamented the early-season injuries to his backups Rui Hachimura, Cam Reddish, Jared Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes and top free agent Gabe Vincent.
Five of their nine losses came against playoff contenders — the defending champion Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Thunder. The Houston Rockets even beat them by 36 points.
The Lakers have struggled in rebounding and shooting against taller teams.
Lakers keeping tabs on John Konchar
With the Lakers struggling to start the new season, trade rumors have linked them to the next available stars such as Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls.
But the Lakers are looking at a cheaper option – John Konchar of the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Backup forward John Konchar is also a candidate to be traded before the February trade deadline. HoopsHype has learned that the Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers are among the teams that will be keeping a close eye on Konchar’s situation from now on. ” Scotto wrote.
Konchar, 27, is entering his fifth season in the league after going undrafted in 2019. Through his own efforts, he began to become a member of the Grizzlies’ rotation on a two-way contract.
The Grizzlies, including Konchar, are struggling without superstar Ja Morant. The 6-foot-5 Konchar averaged just 3.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting a career-low 34.9 percent from the field.