LeBron James said he was unaware that longtime manager and business partner Maverick Carter was placing bets on NBA games through illegal bookmakers, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Carter confirmed he placed bets on NBA games in a November 2021 interview with federal agents investigating Wayne Nix, who later admitted to operating an offshore sports betting business, The Washington Post reported. Charges related to gambling ring. Carter told agents he “did not recall placing any bets” on the Lakers, according to an investigative report reviewed by The Washington Post.
Adam Mendelsohn, a spokesman for James and Carter, told The Washington Post: “Mr. Carter was not a target of the investigation, was cooperative, was never charged, and has never been contacted again about this matter.”
After the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder on Thursday night, James told reporters that he had just learned of Carter’s betting history and 2021 interview with federal investigators over the past 24 hours.
“Maverick is his own man and at the end of the day, gambling is legal,” James said. “I mean, you can turn on your phone right now and do whatever you want. And he has nothing to do with the NBA or the NFL, so, he can do whatever he wants.”
While the NBA prohibits players, coaches, staff and agents from betting on games, there are no rules prohibiting business managers from gambling. However, the NBA has entered into business partnerships with gaming companies and casino owners are purchasing a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks.
James said he’s noticed that gambling has become a bigger part of the NBA conversation during his career.
“I mean, it’s weird that some of our old fans who loved the game now only care about parlays,” he said. “I think that’s the word that everybody’s using. It kind of takes away from the integrity of the game because people really only care about betting. I mean, it (happens) all the time. I mean, listen, People have been betting on the game ever since Arnold Rothstein bet on the World Series in the 1920s. Okay, okay. So, it’s been going on for years. But now It’s been legalized. Is it legalized in every state now? Most, right? I think over 38 states have it. So, I mean, for everybody.”
James, who has been sharing his NFL picks every week this season, said he often encounters fans who care more about individual performance than team results.
“You hear it. You see it on social media all the time,” he said. “But people also play fantasy football and fantasy basketball and are like, ‘I need you to hit four 3s tonight…I need you to get six assists.'” Any. “I mean, I don’t care about that stuff.”