Avenatti charged for trying to extort $20 million from Nike

Wakil Atig

Sports Writer 

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing the pornographic film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against Donald Trump, arrived in New York on March 25, 2019 to face charges for an attempt to extort Nike executives for more than $20 million.

 

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed charges accusing him of trying to extort millions of dollars from the apparel giant in exchange for evidence he said he had of misconduct by company employees in the recruitment of college basketball players.

 

In court documents filed, prosecutors said that Avenatti threatened multiple executives before a Nike earnings call and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

 

Prosecutors said Avenatti told Nike that he and the basketball coach, said to be Gary Franklin Sr. of the club team, California Supreme in Los Angeles, had evidence that Nike employees funneled money to recruits in violation of NCAA rules.

 

According to Avenatti’s twitter, Duke superstar, Zion Williamson violated several NCAA rules during his recruitment process.

 

Avenatti’s tweet alleged Williamson’s mother, Sharonda Sampson, was paid for consulting services in 2016 and 2017.

 

In another tweet, Avenatti tweeted at the official Duke men’s basketball account, asking Duke’s close friends at Nike to check their Nike vendor portal for payments to “Sharonda Sampson Consulting.” Zion Williamson’s mother’s alleged consulting agency.

 

Following Avenatti’s tweets, Duke released a statement about Avenatti’s accusation, promising an investigation. “We are aware of the allegations and, as we would with any compliance matter, are looking into it. Duke is fully committed to compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations,” athletic director Kevin White said.

 

This drama consumed the attention of millions as Duke was also eliminated by Michigan State in the Elite 8.

 

In a separate but similar set of posts one week before that, Avenatti made claims that Nike had paid basketball players Bol Bol and DeAndre Ayton $170 thousand to direct them to Nike-sponsored schools. These players have not denied these claims at the time nor has Nike.

 

Scandals between sneaker companies and college sports programs is nothing new. Everything from boosters, bribery, and extortion has been evident for decades.

 

College sports generate millions of dollars annually off the hard work of its players. In return, most players suffer financially and emotionally under the mental chains of the NCAA rulebook.

 

Nike, Adidas and Under Armour sponsor dozens of basketball teams for high school players that compete in the summer.

 

More than high school basketball, these leagues represent the hub of recruiting for college basketball programs. It’s big business.

 

With that being said, the narrative that exist between the NCAA, recruiters, major sneaker and apparel companies, and high school players need to be addressed.

 

Marcus Haynes, a junior physical education major from Pascagoula, Miss., believes that the players deserve more.

 

“I believe college athletes should be paid besides just their tuition being covered. Schools recruit these players from the time they are children to get them in and make millions off them while the player get nothing in return. What if a player knee goes out? What if his mom brother gets murdered? There’s no system in place for those scenarios. All the players get is a free education that they’re not going to use.”

 

Matthew Little, a sophomore computer science major from Evanston, Ill., speaks on the battles mentally as a student athlete.

 

“Colleges bring in a lot of money off sports alone and the players don’t really benefit from it. We go through a lot of mental battles that nobody sees off the field because we are not viewed as regular people. We deserve some type payment for the work we put in.”