Malik Beasley has officially pleaded not guilty to federal gambling charges that allege the former NBA guard manipulated his performances during the 2024 season to benefit sports bettors and reduce personal debts.
The 29-year-old appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, where he answered several procedural questions before his attorney, Jason Goldman, entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.
Following the hearing, Goldman strongly defended his client and made it clear that Beasley intends to fight the allegations.
“He looks forward to fighting. He’s fought every day,” Goldman told reporters outside the courthouse, according to the Associated Press. “He’s presumed innocent and that has to mean something still, obviously.”
Beasley and sports agent Paolo Zamorano were among six people named in the indictment. Zamorano also entered a not guilty plea and was released on bond.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Zamorano’s attorney, Kenneth Breen, said following the hearing, according to the Associated Press.
Federal prosecutors allege that Beasley intentionally altered his performances in multiple games during the 2024 season while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. According to the indictment, bettors allegedly bribed Beasley while debts he owed to former NBA player Ed Davis were either reduced or eliminated.
One text message included in the indictment allegedly showed Davis telling Beasley:
“Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting,” Davis told Beasley in a Jan. 26, 2024, text message, according to the indictment. “Everything else they got the edge.”
Prosecutors point to a March 2024 game against the Los Angeles Clippers as one example. The indictment alleges Beasley informed associates that he intended to surpass a 3.5 rebound betting line. He finished with four rebounds after securing one in the closing seconds.
According to the court documents, one bettor reportedly earned $3,252 on a $2,838 wager.
“What’s funny is after he got it he had a big sigh of relief,” one alleged co-conspirator wrote in a text message included in the indictment.
Goldman also addressed the broader issue of gambling in professional sports.
“There’s a bigger conversation here about the industry, about individuals and institutions that are profiting billions and billions of dollars and fueling the addiction,” Goldman said, according to the Associated Press.
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