Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has spoken out against the NCAA and the corruption throughout college basketball. Talking about the recent NCAA findings, James said that the NCAA is a “corrupt” organization.
“The NCAA is corrupt, we know that,” James told reporters. “Sorry, it’s going to make headlines, but it’s corrupt.”
Talking about the argument that student-athletes get a free education for playing sports, James said:
“I don’t know all the rules and regulations about it. But I do know what 5-star athletes bring to a campus, both in basketball and football. I know how much these college coaches get paid. I know how much these colleges are gaining off these kids. … I’ve always heard the narrative they get a free education. But you guys aren’t bringing me on campus to get an education. You guys are bringing me on it to help you get to a Final Four or to a national championship.”
Previously, Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo got their hands on documents and bank records showing ASM Sports, former NBA agent Andy Miller and his associate Christian Dawkins providing financial payments, entertainment and covering travel expenses to high school and college basketball players and their families. Not only that, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported on Friday that FB wiretaps had intercepted a conversation between Arizona head coach Sean Miller and Dawkins discussing a payment of $100,000 “to ensure” Deandre Ayton played for the team.