The FBI's recent investigation into illegal gambling activities in the NBA that led to the arrests of Hall of Famer and former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups , veteran guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones has opened a veritable can of worms.
From the look of things, the controversy is far from over, with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation asking the league to provide them with its gambling policies and a complete list of its investigations concerning betting.
LeBron James is mentioned in the investigation — Jones reportedly sold his injury updates to gamblers. However, businessman and media personality Patrick Bet-David (PBD) thinks it isn't out of the realm of possibility that things could get a lot more serious for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar if the FBI digs deeper into the scandal that has rocked the NBA to its core.
Although James is a divisive figure in the NBA, there's no denying that he has been an outstanding citizen in the league. However, Bet-David thinks that his association with childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter could potentially be a liability for him.
The reason is that Carter admitted to federal agents in 2021 that he had bet on NBA games through an illegal bookmaker operated by former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix. The report revealed that Carter had wagered between $5,000 and $10,000 on an estimated 20 football and basketball games in 2021. In addition, he also claimed that he "could not remember placing any bets on the Lakers."
On his podcast, PBD claimed that United States President Donald Trump does not take lightly to those who besmirch his name, something LeBron did in 2017 when he called him a "bum."
"Do you think President Trump has a memory where he remembers everybody who called him out, who came after him?" Bet-David said . "And do you remember what LeBron called the president once? He called the president a bum."
"Do you think if there's any ties, text exchange, or email exchange of Mav Carter asking Bron, 'You gonna play tonight? You not gonna play tonight?' Do you think, if there's anybody, if you put ten names of people that know on any given night if LeBron's playing or not, where would this guy rank on that list? He'd be in the top five," he added.
Bet-David insinuated that if there's anyone in James' universe who knows what his playing status is, it's Carter. And should the FBI train its sights on him, it could open up a world of trouble for King James.
History has shown that the repercussions can be harsh for athletes caught in scandals. But this, according to Bet-David, could be unprecedented.
"So, if there is an ounce of anything on LeBron, do you think the FBI will go investigating LeBron? And imagine if they do. Think about all the black eyes athletes have had," PBD stated. "Pete Rose — the greatest hitter of all time, 4,256 hits. Did he ever make it into the Hall of Fame while he was alive? No. What was Michael Jordan's issue? Gambling. What happened there? Took a year and a half off to play baseball."
So what would happen to LeBron? According to Bet-David, it could spell trouble for him, his career and ultimately his legacy.
"If this goes in that direction, none of those things will come as close to this as possible. And guess who will not go in the Hall of Fame? LeBron James ," Bet-David stressed. "If there's a guy they go after that has immediate ties to LeBron, it's Mav Carter. If they get Mav Carter — guilty by association — they get LeBron. If this happens, they'll keep LeBron out of the Hall of Fame. Holy s—t!"
"There's never been a single person in the history of the NBA that's been banned from the Hall of Fame," he continued. "And LeBron could be the first."
Invoking LeBron's name in this illegal gambling controversy could be a stretch. But then again, nobody saw this scandal coming.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
