Recently, there has been scrutiny on gambling in the NBA, with the recent gambling-related arrests conducted by the FBI. Amidst this noise, a story from Gilbert Arenas about LeBron James resurfaced, and former Los Angeles Lakers player Kwame Brown had things to say.
The interview with Arenas was conducted on DJ Vlad’s show, where he was talking about the 2006 Wizards-Cavaliers series, during which Damon Jones hit a game-winning shot. Arenas said, “We’re gambling, during the series, right? Not LeBron, but, you know, me, Damon Jones, Larry Hughes. Like, we’re at LeBron’s place. We’re gambling, right?” He described the scene as casual. “He had a penthouse condo. He had all the floors, right? So we’re going there watching game tape, just vibing,” Arenas continued.
Kwame Brown reacted to this clip with skepticism, saying, “During the playoff series, they’re supposed to be at war,” Brown said. “This is supposed to be Sparta. They’re supposed to be real deal Holyfield. This for all the marbles. Why is there no war?”
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He turned his attention to Arenas’ version of events, adding that the story didn’t add up, “Now, I can’t prove LeBron James was gambling. But, like, why would you lie about that?” Brown said. “Almost every player gambled. Especially if a player is going to allow that at their house. I’m going to allow gambling at my house, but I’m not going to gamble? That don’t even make sense.”
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Brown doubled down, adding that though he wasn’t directly accusing the Lakers forward, he questioned the logic behind the described scenario. “Why would I tell people to come to my house and gamble if I don’t gamble?” he said. “Come to my house and drink, everybody come get drunk, and I ain’t going to drink. That don’t even make sense.”
These comments come at a time when gambling in the NBA has become a sensitive topic following several league and even a federal investigation in 2024 and 2025. So far, there’s no evidence linking LeBron James to misconduct.
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Gilbert Arenas Laughs Off Gambling Allegations, Calls Claims ‘Stupid’
Gilbert Arenas has never been one to shy away from controversy, and, apart from the LeBron James story, used his appearance on DJ Vlad’s show to address the gambling charges looming over him. He said, “Can I ask you something, Vlad? You live in Hollywood. You’ve heard of poker games. The Israelis – would they have someone like me in their group?” he said, laughing off the suggestion that he had been part of any organized operation.
The former All-Star took issue with how his name has been tied to the alleged operation. He told Vlad that he was considering whether these reports could be classified as defamation: “I’m wondering if there’s defamation because of how you’re making it seem. I don’t think that’s fair. You can’t use my name to put a case out there with these types of claims. At the end of this, I should be able to sue for defamation.” But even in frustration, he couldn’t resist a grin. “But it is the government. It is the government (and) they can do what the f— they want to do,” he added, shaking his head.