Maverick Carter, the manager of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and his business partner, told federal agents in 2021 that he was betting on NBA games through illegal bookmakers. The Washington Post reported Thursday.
“I don’t remember betting on the Lakers,” Carter told federal officials during a November 2021 hospitalization and denied betting on any other player, according to a report summarizing interviews reviewed by the newspaper. .
“In 2021, before 38 states and the District of Columbia legalized sports betting, Maverick Carter was only questioned once by federal law enforcement regarding the Wayne Nix investigation,” a spokesperson for Carter and James said. Adam Mendelsohn said in a statement. post. “Mr. Carter was not a subject of the investigation, cooperated, was not charged, and was not contacted again regarding this matter.”
According to reports reviewed by the newspaper, Carter said he made about 20 bets on football and basketball games over the course of a year, each bet ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
The NBA prohibits players, team officials, and league officials from betting on league games, and the National Basketball Players Association also includes agents in its rules, but neither group includes business executives. Not yet.
Nix, a former minor league baseball player, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to charges of conspiracy to operate an illegal sports betting business and filing false tax returns. Prosecutors say Knicks’ operation spanned 20 years and involved victims including Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and former MLB outfielder Yasiel Puig, who changed his plea to not guilty on federal charges, according to the newspaper. It said current and former professional athletes were included as customers and employees. He is accused of lying to law enforcement authorities about sports bets he made with illegal gambling operators.
Puig’s trial is scheduled for January.