LeBron James OFFICIALLY reacts to business partner Maverick Carter admitting he once illegally bet on NBA games

Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ close friend and business manager, admitted to illegal sports betting on NBA games in a 2021 Washington Post report

Image Courtesy: Twitter

Image Courtesy: Twitter

In 2021, Maverick Carter, a long-time friend and business manager of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, confessed to a federal agent that he had engaged in sports betting with an illegal bookie.

This disclosure came to light in a Thursday report by Gus Garcia-Roberts of The Washington Post, dated November 20, 2021.

Part of the former Minor League Baseball player Wayne Nix, who was convicted of operating an unlawful sports gambling enterprise and falsifying a tax return in 2022, led Carter to share this information.

As per the Post’s account, Carter had admitted to wagering on approximately 20 basketball and football games, with each stake worth between $5,000 and $10,000.

Inside Maverick Carter’s Business and Betting: NBA Regulations

LeBron James declared his unawareness about his longtime manager and business partner, Maverick Carter, placing bets on NBA games through an unlawful bookie, according to a disclosure by The Washington Post on a specific Thursday.

Despite not being the investigation’s target, Carter volunteered cooperation, didn’t face any charges, and has not received any follow-up regarding the incident.

He had informed law enforcement during the incident that he couldn’t recall betting on the Lakers and had denied betting on behalf of others.

It’s important to note that, as a business manager, Carter wasn’t technically restricted from sports betting. It was the players, team officials, and referees who were banned from such activities.

And while the National Basketball Players Association included agents in this restriction, it did not apply to business managers like Carter.

LeBron James’ perspective on the evolving role of gambling in the NBA

James observed that over his career, gambling had increasingly dominated NBA discussions.

“It struck me as odd that many of our dedicated fans who love the game seemed to focus mainly on parlays these days,” he commented.

“That seemed to be the trending term. It was almost as if it had compromised the game’s integrity since people seemed to consider the betting aspect above all else.