The logs of payment by Andy Miller’s former agency to high school and college basketball players leaked today.
That has sparked discussions about the entire system, and Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has a thought.
Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times:
“Everybody knows everybody’s getting paid. Might as well make it legal,” Lonzo Ball says on the subject of college athletes getting paid.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) February 23, 2018
Lonzo Ball says he didn’t take money from agents while at UCLA. “My dad wasn’t big on that. We just focused on going there and getting out.”
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) February 23, 2018
Simply, I don’t believe Ball about not getting extra compensation at UCLA. That sounds like he caught himself going further then he wanted and attempting to backtrack.
I can see why Ball wouldn’t want to admit getting extra benefits. He still knows people at UCLA, and an NCAA inquiry based on his comments could hurt them – and his reputation at UCLA.
But NBA players should be outspoken on this issue. They have the power to apply pressure on the NCAA’s cartel system, in which schools collude to limit compensation to athletes. As long as that system remains, college players lose out, getting only under-the-table scraps, while coaches and administrators hoard the major money.
Good for Ball for pointing out the farce. It’s easy to stop caring once players reach the NBA and gets rich, but NBA players are uniquely equipped to shine a light on the NCAA’s problems.
