New reports reveal that Maverick Carter, the longtime manager of NBA star Lebron James, admitted to federal authorities that he bet illegally on NBA games.
Federal law enforcement records obtained by the Washington Post reveal Carter admitted to federal agents that he bet on NBA games by placing bets with an illegal bookie.
The admission of the crime stems from a 2021 interview Carter had with authorities regarding an investigation into bookie Wayne Nix.
When asked by authorities if he had ever placed bets on the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA team Lebron James plays for, Carter responded he “could not remember placing any bets on the Lakers.”
Per The Washington Post:
Maverick Carter, the longtime manager and business partner of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, admitted to betting on NBA games through an illegal bookie, according to federal law enforcement records reviewed by The Washington Post.
Carter made the admission during a November 2021 interview with federal agents investigating bookie Wayne Nix, who has since pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his role running a sprawling offshore sports-betting ring. Carter told agents he “could not remember placing any bets on the Lakers,” according to an investigative report summarizing the interview.
A spokesman for Carter and James confirmed the interview occurred. “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,” the spokesman, Adam Mendelsohn, said in a statement.
In the report, Carter placed 20 bets on basketball games and football games, each ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Adam Mendelsohn, a spokesperson for Carter, shared, “Mr. Carter was not the target of the investigation, cooperated, was never charged, and never contacted again on the matter,”
After the Laker’s loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a reporter asked Lebron James if he knew about Carter’s bet, to which James responded “Maverick’s his own man and at the end of the day, gambling is legal.”