Not long ago, star forward LeBron James and his former teammate Damon Jones reunited years after working together on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The two were teammates on the Cavs for a few seasons, and Jones later became a Cavs coach during James’ second stint with the team. Their most recent NBA reunion came when Jones nabbed a spot as an unofficial member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching staff in the 2022-23 season.
According to one former Lakers staff member, getting up shots with Jones was an important part of James’ routine for a period of time.
“JONES DID MAINTAIN an off-and-on friendship with James for years after they were teammates in Cleveland,” wrote ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Known for having a tight circle, James typically is very selective about whom he lets in. Jones was on the Cavs from 2005 to 2008, and, unofficially, a part of the Lakers’ staff in the 2022-23 season, ostensibly because of James’ comfort level with him.
“‘LeBron is very into routines,’ one former Lakers staffer said. ‘For a while, shooting with D-Jones was part of his routine.’
“Jones routinely traveled with the Lakers, attended practices and had access to the locker and training rooms, sources told ESPN. And, as was his custom, he apparently gambled with them as well.
“One of the traits of the Lakers’ team the year Jones was on staff, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2023, was their ‘freeze’ gesture made after hitting big 3-pointers, which stemmed from an inside joke involving Jones’ antics when he won a big hand playing cards.”
But somewhere along the way, Jones, who is now in legal trouble, apparently had a falling out with James.
“At the time of the indictments, James and Jones had not been on speaking terms for an extended period, sources said,” wrote Windhorst. “The falling out with James was hard on Jones, both personally and for his job prospects, he told several people over the past few years.”
Jones finds himself in trouble with the law in part because the FBI alleges he sold information about the availability of certain players on the Lakers to gamblers in the years 2023 and 2024.
While the official indictment doesn’t name the players in particular, the belief is that Jones allegedly sold info on James and former Lakers star Anthony Davis. An alleged text message of Jones telling a bettor to bet big on the Milwaukee Bucks in a certain game has even been uncovered, and James did not play in that contest.
James and Jones’ on-and-off relationship dates back to the 2000s, as from the 2005-06 season through the 2007-08 campaign, they played alongside each other during James’ first stint in Cleveland. Jones was even a member of the first Cavs team that reached the NBA Finals in franchise history in 2007.
The relationship between Jones and James appears to be very complex if nothing else, and it’s hard to imagine they will get back to being in good standing anytime soon in light of the former’s arrest. It’s unfortunate that Jones is in legal trouble and somehow involved James’ name in things, even if the NBA’s oldest active player isn’t facing any real consequences.