Looming Nike Scandal (Zion allegation shown to be a hoax)

[Billy Dat]

This tweet seems to be making some major waves this morning...

@MichaelAvenatti
Tmrw at 11 am ET, we will be holding a press conference to disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered. This criminal conduct reaches the highest levels of Nike and involves some of the biggest names in college basketball.

Related...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...xtort-nike-nke
California lawyer Michael Avenatti was charged by federal prosecutors in New York with attempting to extort millions of dollars out of Nike Inc. by threatening to release damaging information about the company, which did not meet his demands, Bloomberg News reports

[uh_no]

This tweet seems to be making some major waves this morning...

@MichaelAvenatti
Tmrw at 11 am ET, we will be holding a press conference to disclose a major high school/college basketball scandal perpetrated by @Nike that we have uncovered. This criminal conduct reaches the highest levels of Nike and involves some of the biggest names in college basketball.

Related...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...xtort-nike-nke
California lawyer Michael Avenatti was charged by federal prosecutors in New York with attempting to extort millions of dollars out of Nike Inc. by threatening to release damaging information about the company, which did not meet his demands, Bloomberg News reports

well whatever else happens, sounds like his motives are pure.

[BeachBlueDevil]

I was just about to post the article you added about his arrest... Avenatti has always come across as slimy to me and his arrest over this Nike shakedown proves it.

But to be fair, maybe he has something... But I don't think his credibility (or lack of) will help him.

[gocanes0506]

I had little doubt that Nike was doing it too. When one does it to gain an edge, others will follow to not be left behind.

Same can be said with cheating among universities. Pure collegiate sports died a long time ago. Heck this goes back to Dixie Classic (Big four tournament) days.

Its like the thief in the Army. One person started it and others are just trying to get back what it is theirs.

[J4Kop99]

Well this in very interesting. MA has absolutely no credibility so I'm not sure what to believe here re: Nike.

[hallcity]

If I had some dirt on Nike that I wanted to reveal, Avenatti would be about the last lawyer I'd ask to help me. Stormy Daniels had a tale to tell but everything else he's touched ended up as a fiasco.

[BigZ]

MAGA

Michael Avenatti Got Arrested

[elvis14]

I just hope that if there is dirt on Nike revealed that it doesn't touch Duke (I can list at least 1 other school that I hope gets tainted...I'd say nailed but they have too much $$ to ever be touched)

Although Avenatti isn't the greatest of guys his heroic efforts against Bif have been great this past year or so.

[JasonEvans]

Avenatti has also been charged today by California prosecutors who say he embezzled from a client and committed bank and wire fraud. He's got a whole heap of problems ahead of him at the moment. I doubt anyone will pay any attention to his extortion scheme with Nike other than to laugh at him.

If I had some dirt on Nike that I wanted to reveal, Avenatti would be about the last lawyer I'd ask to help me. Stormy Daniels had a tale to tell but everything else he's touched ended up as a fiasco.

Yup, that's exactly what I said to Donald when he sent the initial Nike story to me. That was before we even knew about the extortion and other charges.

[SavDukeGrad]

Avenatti has also been charged today by California prosecutors who say he embezzled from a client and committed bank and wire fraud. He's got a whole heap of problems ahead of him at the moment. I doubt anyone will pay any attention to his extortion scheme with Nike other than to laugh at him.



Yup, that's exactly what I said to Donald when he sent the initial Nike story to me. That was before we even knew about the extortion and other charges.

MA has no credibility, and I would be fine if I never heard his name again. But it sounds like he’s going down swinging!

[UrinalCake]

MA has no credibility, and I would be fine if I never heard his name again. But it sounds like he’s going down swinging!

If we winds up pointing a finger at Duke, it's because he's a lying scumbag with zero credibility. If he calls out the CHeats, then I totally believe him.

[flyingdutchdevil]

If we winds up pointing a finger at Duke, it's because he's a lying scumbag with zero credibility. If he calls out the CHeats, then I totally believe him.

And if he calls out both?

[JetpackJesus]

And if he calls out both?

He's a lying scumbag who happens to be right about one thing.

[swood1000]

How could a guy who graduated first in his class from law school do something so stupid? Avenatti’s precarious financial position has been in the news recently (i.e. that he owes a lot of money and has been sued for more). Maybe this is what true desperation looks like. It reminds me of when John DeLorean’s automobile venture was going south and to keep it afloat he decided to sell a little cocaine.

"I'm not f---ing around with this, and I'm not continuing to play games," Avenatti was recorded as saying.

"You guys know enough now to know you've got a serious problem. And it's worth more in exposure to me to just blow the lid on this thing. A few million dollars doesn't move the needle for me. I'm just being really frank with you."

"I'll go and I'll go take $10 billion off your client's market cap. But I'm not f---ing around," he said.

"If [Nike] wants to have one confidential settlement and we're done, they can buy that for $22.5 million and we're done," Avenatti is quoted as saying. "Full confidentiality, we ride off into the sunset."

[MChambers]

How could a guy who graduated first in his class from law school do something so stupid? Avenatti’s precarious financial position has been in the news recently (i.e. that he owes a lot of money and has been sued for more). Maybe this is what true desperation looks like. It reminds me of when John DeLorean’s automobile venture was going south and to keep it afloat he decided to sell a little cocaine.

Very desperate. But Avenatti has done some pretty bad things over the last year, not just this, if press accounts are true. Guy must have an enormous ego.

[uh_no]

the more i think/read about this, the more it seems like the most likely story here is he had no scoop...and figured he'd slander Nike to extort money.

If you DID have a scoop, why would you try to extort? And if there WAS a story, why wouldn't nike come to a hush-hush arrangement instead of blowing this up?

Wonder if he also sold a metric ton of one-week calls on Nike as well...

[MChambers]

the more i think/read about this, the more it seems like the most likely story here is he had no scoop...and figured he'd slander Nike to extort money.

If you DID have a scoop, why would you try to extort? And if there WAS a story, why wouldn't nike come to a hush-hush arrangement instead of blowing this up?

Wonder if he also sold a metric ton of one-week calls on Nike as well...

Just representing some AAU coach in a claim against Nike wouldn’t be financially lucrative. I don’t know what the coach’s claim would be.

But if Nike were to agree to Avenatti’s proposal, that’s serious money.

[uh_no]

Just representing some AAU coach in a claim against Nike wouldn’t be financially lucrative. I don’t know what the coach’s claim would be.

But if Nike were to agree to Avenatti’s proposal, that’s serious money.

so here's the thought.

if the claims are true:

nike pays the guy off, or makes some deal with him...and tells him otherwise he's going to prison

if the claims are false:
nike just sends him to prison

I don't see a win for nike here by sending him to prison if his claims are true...since it'll all come out under oath anyway

[swood1000]

the more i think/read about this, the more it seems like the most likely story here is he had no scoop...and figured he'd slander Nike to extort money.

If you DID have a scoop, why would you try to extort? And if there WAS a story, why wouldn't nike come to a hush-hush arrangement instead of blowing this up?

Wonder if he also sold a metric ton of one-week calls on Nike as well...

It sounds like there was something to it but that Nike had either already reported it to federal prosecutors or did so as soon as Avenatti informed them of it. According to Nike:

"Nike has been cooperating with the government’s investigation into NCAA basketball for over a year. When Nike became aware of this matter, Nike immediately reported it to federal prosecutors. When Mr. Avenatti attempted to extort Nike over this matter, Nike with the assistance of outside counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner, aided the investigation.”

[BigWayne]

I had not paid much attention to Avenatti being in the news, but it didn't take me too long to figure out he is someone that seems to have a bad cloud following him around. Anybody that hires him is either desperate or hasn't done their homework. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...to-bankruptcy/