LeBron James has openly addressed his close friend and associate Maverick Carter admitting to illegal gambling in a federal investigation into Wayne Nix. James has said he wasn’t aware of what Carter was doing and thinks the only reason it’s become a major story is due to their close relationship.
“No. Because that’s the only reason it got any legs in the first place, because he’s so close to me. But Maverick’s his own man and at the end of the day, gambling is legal. I mean, you can go on your phone right now and do whatever you want. And he has no affiliation with the NBA or NFL, so, he can do what he wants to do.”
LeBron James said he wasn’t aware of Maverick Carter, his longtime friend and business partner, telling federal agents that he placed NBA bets with an illegal bookie in 2021, as @washingtonpost reported. James said he found out in the last 24 hours.
Here’s James’ response to if… pic.twitter.com/ZZwnswZGdq
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 1, 2023
Carter is not being investigated for illegal gambling but is a cooperative witness in a federal case against Wayne Nix. The bets were made in 2021, before the legalization of gambling in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Carter’s bets ranged from $5,000 to $10,000 on NBA and NFL games.
No proof indicates Carter was betting on Lakers games, which would naturally lead to scandal with people questioning LeBron’s involvement. Carter reportedly placed over 50 bets with Wayne Nix, which would make any information he can provide useful in the investigation into Nix’s gambling ring.
Carter is one of LeBron’s business managers, not to be confused with Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent. They have been friends since before LeBron made it to the league, with James empowering all of them to start their lucrative businesses and bolster James’ value.
There are league rules prohibiting agents, players, team officials, and league officials from betting on games, but business managers have full freedom to do whatever they want to, which is why James quickly dismissed this situation.
Another LeBron James Associate Was Caught In A Federal Investigation
One of the most remarkable things about LeBron’s success since he entered the league is the complete lack of off-court scandals that James has had. His team of close friends around him who now look after his business interests had done a great job at keeping their noses clean for the most part, until this year.
Rich Paul is one of the most influential sports agents in the world and has a very strong reputation. The same can’t be said for Maverick Carter with his betting news coming to the forefront, though it is nothing major.
A grave situation could’ve come up with the fourth member of this old school friend circle, as Randy Mims was caught up in a DEA investigation into the Biogenesis Clinic which led to over 20 players getting suspended for doping in the MLB. Given Mims’ association with LeBron, the DEA categorically made it known that LeBron was not involved in the case.
Given previous PED allegations against LeBron, the DEA did the right thing by investigating a possible LeBron link and then ruling it out entirely to kill speculation.
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