Maverick Carter, the longtime business partner and manager of LeBron James, said he bet on NBA games with an illegal bookie, according to The Washington Post.
Carter was reportedly part of an investigation into bookie Wayne Nix two years ago when he made the admission to federal agents.
Nix, who also had ties to former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig and NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, has since pleaded guilty to running the offshore book.
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Maverick Carter high-fives LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers after a game against the Orlando Magic Oct. 30, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
Carter said he was unsure if he placed wagers on the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ current team. He also denied placing any bets for others.
Carter placed around 20 wagers on the NFL, NCAA football and the NBA, each bet ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, according to The Washington Post.
Carter, though, did not break any NBA rules, nor was he charged. The NBA bars players, coaches and league officials from gambling on games, and the NBA Players’ Association bans agents, not business managers, from betting. Carter is not employed by the league, and Rich Paul is James’ agent.
Maverick Carter and LeBron James attend the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures’ “Shooting Stars” May 31, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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The interview was the only one Carter participated in.
“In 2021 and before 38 states and the District of Columbia legalized sports betting, Maverick Carter was interviewed a single time by federal law enforcement regarding their investigation into Wayne Nix,” a spokesman for Carter and James told the outlet. “Mr. Carter was not the target of the investigation, cooperated, was never charged and never contacted again on the matter.”
Carter and James have been linked since high school. The two played basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The two founded the SpringHill Company, an entertainment and production company, in 2020. The two are also minority owners of the Boston Red Sox and the English soccer club Liverpool.
Lebron James, left, and Maverick Carter attend the Uninterrupted Canada launch at Louis Louis at The St. Regis Toronto Aug. 2, 2019, in Toronto. (George Pimentel/Getty Images)
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No NBA player has been suspended for gambling, although former referee Tim Donaghy served jail time for fixing games in the 2000s.
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