Posted May 11th, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Basketball
AAU basketball and college basketball recruiting is so freaking dirty. In completely unsurprising news ESPN is reporting that USC’s O.J. Mayo received cash, clothes, a tv, and other gifts for himself and his friends and family:
Former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo, a projected lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, received thousands of dollars in cash, clothes and other benefits in apparent violation of NCAA rules while he was still in high school and during his one year in college, a former Mayo associate told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”
Louis Johnson, who was a part of Mayo’s inner circle until recently, said Mayo accepted around $30,000 in cash and gifts during the past four years from Rodney Guillory, a 43-year-old Los Angeles event promoter. In addition to cash, the gifts included a flat-screen television for Mayo’s dorm room, cell phone service, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for Mayo’s friends and a relative, according to Johnson, others with knowledge of the gifts and store receipts.
When Mayo was in high school in Ohio and West Virginia, Guillory was receiving monthly payments from the Northern California sports agency Bill Duffy Associates. Johnson said BDA provided Guillory with around $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC, and that Guillory used most of the money to support his own lifestyle but also gave a portion of it to Mayo.
In exchange for the payments and gifts, Mayo entered a verbal agreement to allow BDA to represent him when he turned pro, Johnson told “Outside the Lines.”
It was widely known that Guillory “gave” Mayo to USC. There wasn’t even any doubts about it or secrets about how it went down, and yet it took ESPN to investigate and uncover what was happening. It’s absolutely no surprise that money was changing hands. The NCAA is an impotent organization that lacks the stones to strike with what little authority they do have.
The problem with college basketball isn’t players skipping school or leaving early, it is that the NCAA continues to allow people like Guillory and AAU “coaches” to hang around and “help” make decisions. If they don’t step in and prevent these lowlifes from pimping these young men for their own personal gain then they’re not acting in the student athletes’ best interest.
The NCAA needs to come down hard (death penalty?) on USC and Tim Floyd or else this type of thing will continue to happen. They need to set an example of what will happen when you enter these types of situations. They have no jurisdiction over agents so they must punish the schools, the coaches, and the players that knowingly break the rules. It’s the NCAA’s job to protect the integrity of amateur athletics and athletes, I somehow doubt they’ll be up to the task.
reply to #1
kathy
May 12th, 2008 at 11:46 am
The real crap of it all is that future docs, engineers, architects, etc. are getting loans while these kids cheat AND get full-rides! That they take up spaces more intelligent kids deserve. That colleges are Institutions of HIGHER LEARNING, now athletic showcases. At least they were not in the past. Also, let’s see how T. Floyd feels about his program: Li’l Romeo gets a full-ride b’ball scholarship by presenting himself as a package deal cuz USC wanted his buddy. This, thanks to rich Daddy. Tim Floyd is okay with that, cuz he thinks “he can fill the stands with 11-year old girls!” Nice, huh? the kid is a peanut with a bum knee, but he & his dad are rich & anything else he does is okay. Meanwhile, my white, middle class girls are being offered loans………
reply to #2
Hook'em Horns
May 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I totally agree with you on this one. Doctors are out there trying to save people along with others and sports players get paid millions for being the best at a “sport” which doesnt save people at all. I love sports and all but they are WAY over paid.
reply to #3
Hook'em Horns
May 12th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I understand the rules and all, but I just dont see why a person that a player looks up to is not allowed to receive gifts or meny. That is like telling me that when I go off to college my pastor who are like my parents cant give me money or anything like that. The players are human too and I understand that the whole “special benefits” thing is not allowed, but still they have to get stuff somehow and if there parents cant provide for it then who can.?
reply to #4
Brian
May 13th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Mayo only knew Guillory through basketball, which is different. He’s not some family friend, he was a representative of an agent who wanted something out of Mayo in return.
If you have a prior relationship with someone then they can continue to treat you like they normally have and give you gifts/money/etc. If your family was long time friends with Mark Cuban then there would be no issue with Mark giving you a car or whatever.