Report Reveals LeBron James & Damon Jones Stopped Speaking Before FBI Probe

A long, complicated relationship between LeBron James and former teammate-turned-coach Damon Jones has reportedly fractured beyond repair, according to new reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

The two, who shared years of history dating back to their Cleveland Cavaliers days, were once close enough that Jones became part of James’ inner-circle routine, but that connection appears to have ended well before Jones’ recent legal trouble.

Windhorst detailed how deeply Jones had been integrated into James’ world during Los Angeles’ 2022 to 2023 season.

“JONES DID MAINTAIN an off-and-on friendship with James for years after they were teammates in Cleveland,” Windhorst wrote.

“Known for having a tight circle, James typically is very selective about whom he lets in. Jones was on the Cavs from 2005 to 2008, and, unofficially, a part of the Lakers’ staff in the 2022-23 season, ostensibly because of James’ comfort level with him.

“‘LeBron is very into routines,’ one former Lakers staffer said. ‘For a while, shooting with D-Jones was part of his routine.’

“Jones routinely traveled with the Lakers, attended practices and had access to the locker and training rooms, sources told ESPN. And, as was his custom, he apparently gambled with them as well.

“One of the traits of the Lakers’ team the year Jones was on staff, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2023, was their ‘freeze’ gesture made after hitting big 3-pointers, which stemmed from an inside joke involving Jones’ antics when he won a big hand playing cards.”

But despite that history, Windhorst reports the two were no longer speaking at the time Jones was indicted by the FBI in an investigation alleging he sold inside information regarding player availability.

“At the time of the indictments, James and Jones had not been on speaking terms for an extended period, sources said,” Windhorst wrote. “The falling out with James was hard on Jones, both personally and for his job prospects, he told several people over the past few years.”