An attorney for a former Adidas executive accused in a federal college basketball corruption trial argued coaches Bill Self and Rick Pitino knew about payments to players and his client was acting on their behalf to help Adidas and their schools, not to defraud them.
James “Jim” Gatto, a former Adidas executive, and two another defendants are accused of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud by scheming to pay the families of top basketball recruits. According to the prosecution, the schools, including Kansas, were victims of the conspiracy because players whose families received payments would be ineligible.