Former NBA player Damon Jones, once close to LeBron James having worked alongside him at the Los Angeles Lakers, pleaded not guilty Thursday in two separate cases involving illegal gambling.

In the first case, he is accused with several others of participating in a rigged betting scheme based on sharing confidential information from the locker room.

He allegedly advised members of the network to bet on the Milwaukee Bucks against the Lakers, knowing that LeBron was injured and would not play.

Hours later, James announced his withdrawal, and the Lakers were defeated.

The second case involves a national network of Mafia-linked rigged poker games involving around 30 people and the use of highly sophisticated cheating equipment including X-ray tables.

Jones allegedly used his notoriety to

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