Cam Skattebo and a few Giants were at WWE Monday Night RAW.
Two of LeBron James' closest associates are cooperating with an NBA investigation.

As the NBA awaits LeBron James' potential season debut this week after his return to Los Angeles Lakes practice Monday, there's another story involving the all-time scoring leader the league probably hopes his return distracts from.

Two close associates of James were among approximately a dozen Lakers employees contacted by and cooperating with an independent law firm hired by the NBA as part of the league's investigation into the insider sports betting allegations in a federal indictment against another James associate, Damon Jones.

To be completely clear, James wasn't named in the indictment and hasn't been accused of doing anything wrong. However, there's always been a prevailing notion that the NBA wouldn't truly be shaken by a gambling controversy until a big star was involved. So, it can't make anyone comfortable having James' name so close to this as it is.

Jones, who was described in the indictment as an unofficial assistant coach for the Lakers, was alleged to have sold non-public information about Lakers players (including James) to gamblers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money-laundering charges last week. "As is standard in these kinds of investigations, a number of different individuals and organizations were asked to preserve documents and records. Everyone has been fully cooperative," an NBA spokesperson said regarding its investigation.

The Lakers were among the multiple teams contacted, including assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, who were hired because of their relationships with James. And now their ties with Jones are likely to come under scrutiny.

That's where all this gets to be a bit uncomfortable. It's not that James did anything wrong that we know of -- or even that Mancias and Mims are guilty of anything. It's simply the ugly web of a gambling scandal attaching itself to this generation's biggest star that makes it a potential bigger integrity concern for the NBA. The longer it drags on with James still being a supporting character, the worse it becomes.

Cam Skattebo in his element

Cam Skattebo might be out for the season, but that didn't stop the New York Giants running back from squabbling with a WWE superstar. Here's a look at Skattebo's little tussle with Dominik Mysterio on Monday Night RAW... surgically repaired ankle and all.

If Giants fans were a little uneasy about it all, you can understand why.

Quick hits: Falcons misery ... World Cup ticket problems ... and more

  • FTW's NFL Week 12 power rankings are here and would you look at that, the Broncos might be for real! Also, we have a new team at No. 1.
  • Michael Penix Jr. is likely out for the season after suffering yet another knee injury. The latest spells doom for the Falcons and their 2024 quarterback gambit, writes Cory Woodroof.
  • Shedeur Sanders' old Colorado teammate shared a touching moment on the sideline with the quarterback after Sanders made his NFL debut with the Browns on Sunday. Speaking of that debut, it was as bad as many expected it to be, wrote Christian D'Andrea.
  • FIFA had a big 'captcha' code problem on its World Cup ticket lottery site Monday, and it had hopeful fans absolutely fuming with frustration.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The NBA betting scandal is too close to LeBron James for comfort

Reporting by Prince J. Grimes, For The Win / For The Win

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