The idea of student-athletes getting paid is a hot topic among sports fans across the country. It's still illegal to do so right now, but former NBA player Gilbert Arenas believes that Duke University already did so over the past couple of years.
The former Arizona Wildcat, who is no stranger to controversy, released a bombastic statement saying that Duke actually pays players to get into their basketball programs.
The entire expose started when Stephen A. Smith reacted to a piece of California legislation that will allow students to get paid for endorsements.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2UxrekgHfN/
SAS named severals schools in his rant, including DrexelUniversity, Kentucky, University of North Carolina, and Villanova. Arenas responded to the post by saying that he personally knows two basketball players who committed to Duke instead of Kentucky due to payments.
Gilbert Arenas in the IG comments saying players get paid to go to Duke over Kentucky pic.twitter.com/VsXPme5OW4
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) September 13, 2019
This is a controversial statement from Arenas. He didn't give any names, but the fact that he name-dropped a school that was recently involved in a legal battle says something.
The university, alongside sports apparel giants Nike, was accused by Michael Avenatti to have paid New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and other top recruits to go to schools they sponsor.
The university's independent investigation cleared Zion of all charges, but they now find themselves in the middle of a whirlpool of talk involving college athletes and proper compensation.
The idea of paying college athletes to play have drawn ire from detractors, saying that a free scholarship to university is enough compensation. However, college students reportedly agree that athletes should get their money's worth.
Should the California legislation get passed, other states will be pressured to provide the same legislation. It will also help appease the athletes and let them use their likeness for monetary gain.
But until that happens, we can expect more rumors like the one revealed by Arenas to keep on popping up for years to come.
Follow Us
Subscribe