FBI’s bombshell arrests of illegal gambling operations involving prominent NBA figures has been a quite the shocker for the basketball community. Among the notable names arrested was Damon Jones. Jones might not be a familiar name to this generation of fans, but once he shared a close bond with LA Lakers’ star LeBron James. NBA analyst Skip Bayless shares exactly how far the two really went.
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Jones spent 11 years in the NBA, with his most memorable coming with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before arriving in Cleveland, Jones was the definition of a journeyman. He hadn’t played for more than a single season with a franchise. But the 6-foot-3 guard found a home in Cleveland.
Jones wasn’t necessarily a remarkable contributor. However, it didn’t hurt that he became close friends with LeBron James during a key portion of the 21-time All-Star’s first stint with the Cavaliers.
“LeBron really really liked Damon Jones,” Skip Bayless said in a post on X. “He just wanted Damon around because Damon’s a great hand. Damon made him feel better about everything.”
Jones would also appear on ESPN’s First Take back when Bayless was a member of the show. It was during those days that Bayless realized how great a person Jones was. It isn’t a surprise LeBron felt the same way. However, LeBron didn’t view Jones as just another teammate. Their connection approached familial territory.
“Everywhere LeBron went, LeBron tried to keep Damon involved. I think that Damon Jones became LeBron’s sort of quasi big brother figure. The big brother LeBron didn’t have,” Bayless proclaimed.
Jones is currently 49 years old, making him eight years older than the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. During their time together with the Cavs, Jones would assume the role of a guardian figure for James and look out for him.
“I can just see it in action where LeBron would just feel better having Damon around as one of the guys in his inner circle,” Bayless said.
Unfortunately for Jones, he was never able to enter LeBron’s closest circle. In hindsight, LeBron may have made an incredibly smart choice. Based on the allegations, Jones provided insider information regarding the availability of a “prominent player” not suiting up for the Lakers in 2023. Speculation is that the player is LeBron himself.
If Jones was among LeBron’s close circle, including Rich Paul and Maverick Carter, this could’ve been a huge scandal for James and the NBA. Luckily, that isn’t the case. However, that doesn’t minimize what took place in the past few days. Now all eyes have shifted toward LeBron, with hopes he breaks his silence to address the matter.
