Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were taken into custody Thursday in connection with alleged illegal gambling operations dating back to 2019.

At that time, Jones was a volunteer member of the Lakers' coaching staff at the behest of former head coach Darvin Ham. Before that particular game, Jones reportedly texted one of his co-conspirators to place a bet on the Bucks because LeBron James would not be playing that night, although he was available.

The Galveston, Texas native played college basketball at the University of Houston, and currently resides in Houston.

"He’s a really funny dude. He’s a great storyteller. But he was never a part of the staff," a team source said of Jones.

Federal authorities alleged the former NBA stars were used by New York City mob families "to attract" wealthy players to rigged poker games

Damon Jones is among the defendants in a rigged poker scheme and a federal prosecutor said Chauncey Billups was among those who played in the rigged games.

The new rule allowing NCAA athletes to bet on pro sports and the latest NBA scandal are bad-but-not-surprising news.