Plot Twist: Brian Bowen Is Now Suing Adidas And Trying To Ban Adidas From The NCAA

[Courier Journal] - Less than a month after a federal jury found three men guilty of wire fraud for trying to steer basketball stars to schools sponsored by Adidas, former University of Louisville recruit Brian Bowen has filed a racketeering suit against the international sportswear company and six of its associates.

Currently competing for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League, Bowen is seeking unspecified damages. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in South Carolina by the Charleston-based McLeod law firm and seeks damages from Adidas, its employees James Gatto,and Chris Rivers, consultants T.J. Gassnolla and Merl Code, aspiring agent Christian Dawkins and financial adviser Munish Sood

As part of its complaint, the firm also seeks to enjoin Adidas from sponsoring men’s basketball programs.

Oh, hell yes. Let’s get weird with this lawsuit. In all honesty, good for Brian Bowen. This is the type of thing we need if there’s going to be change the NCAA. I mean I don’t think this is going to change much, but this is a step in the right direction. The problem has never been AAU basketball or anything like that. The problem has always been an outdated rulebook with the NCAA. It’s time for that to change.

So good for Brian Bowen. Good for him going for Adidas to get banned by the NCAA. If the NCAA was going to screw him over, I hope he tries to get the same for Adidas. Really, I just hope this hurts the NCAA more than anyone else.

What makes this is interesting though is the programs this could hurt. We’re looking at the likes of Kansas, Louisville, Miami among others. Will they have to go find a new sponsor at some point soon?

As I said from the beginning, this whole process isn’t going to end any time soon. We still have trials for the assistant coaches arrested over a year ago. We still have to wait for the NCAA to investigate. We still have appeals. And now we have things like this.