Lakers star LeBron James has spoken out about Maverick Carter’s admission to betting on NBA games. Carter has served as James’s manager since 2006 and recently came under fire for using an illegal bookmaker to bet on several sports games.
After the Lakers’ 133—110 loss to the Thunder on Thursday, James fielded questions about Carter’s admission and told reporters that he wasn't concerned about any potential negative perceptions surrounding Carter's situation.
"The only reason it got any legs in the first place [is] because [Carter's] so close to me. But Maverick's his own man and at the end of the day, gambling is legal. . . He has no affiliation with the NBA or NFL, so he can do what he wants to do."
James added that he found out about Carter’s 2021 conversation with federal agents within the last 24 hours.
LeBron James said he wasn’t aware of Maverick Carter, his longtime friend and business partner, telling federal agents that he placed NBA bets with an illegal bookie in 2021, as @washingtonpost reported. James said he found out in the last 24 hours.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 1, 2023
Here’s James’ response to if… pic.twitter.com/ZZwnswZGdq
Over the course of a year, Carter placed around 20 bets on football and basketball games, as first reported by The Washington Post.
