Malik Beasley pleading not guilty to gambling charges as ex-NBA star wants to move on with life, lawyer says
Malik Beasley’s lawyer said the indicted former NBA star “wants to move on with his life” after pleading not guilty Wednesday to charges that he altered his play in certain games in 2024 to enrich sports bettors and ease his own debts.Beasley, the latest big name caught up in a sweeping federal gambling investigation, said little at his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court.He answered a judge’s questions with “yes, your honor” but let his lawyer, Jason Goldman, enter his plea on his behalf.Afterward, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard stood quietly as Goldman spoke to reporters outside the courthouse, demurring when one asked if he had anything to say to his fans.
Beasley, who played for six NBA teams in nine years, missed the most recent season because he was under investigation.Instead, he played for a Puerto Rican team co-owned by the rapper Bad Bunny.“He looks forward to fighting.
He’s fought every day,” Goldman said.“He’s presumed innocent and that has to mean something still, obviously.”Beasley, 29, and sports agent Paolo Zamorano, who also pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, were among six people charged in an indictment unsealed this week.They are the newest defendants in a gambling sweep that has netted more than three dozen arrests, including former Miami Heat star Terry Rozier, who was accused of conspiring with friends to help them win bets, and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, who was accused of conspiring to fix high-stakes poker games.Zamorano, 39, formerly represented another co-defendant, ex-NBA player Ed Davis, who had loaned money to Beasley and is accused of acting as his “gatekeeper” in the alleged scheme.“We look forward to our day in court,” Zamorano’s lawyer, Kenneth Breen, told reporters.Beasley and Zamorano were both released on bond.
They’re due back in court for a status conference on Aug.6.Beasley is accused of fixing or trying to fix his performance in at least four games while playing for the Mi...