A court motion filed on behalf of attorney Michael Avenatti alleges corruption and secret payouts to elite high school players within Nike’s EYBL circuit.
The document alleges a willingness to pay as much as $35,000 for former Duke player Zion Williamson.
Kentucky was also mentioned in the filing.
Here’s an excerpt:
* “Nike possessed text messages, emails, and other documents from 2016-17 … proving that Nike executives had arranged for and concealed payments often in cash to amateur basketball players and their families and ‘handlers.’”
*Nike EYBL manager Jamal James texted EYBL Director Carlton DeBose and Nike Recruiting Coordinator John Stovall “in February 2017, asking whether they would be ‘willing to do … whatever may be needed for the Zion/Romeo situations as well as the money we’re now going to do for the [redacted due to the player being a minor] kid in Michigan?