Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti took to Twitter on Tuesday to reveal his "major scandal" a day after he was arrested for allegedly trying to extort more than $20 million from Nike.
Avenatti wrote, linking to a September 2017 CBS Sports report : "Ask Deandre Ayton and Nike about the cash payments to his mother and others. Nike’s attempt at diversion and cover-up will fail miserably once prosecutors realize they have been played by Nike and their lawyers at [the firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner]. This reaches the highest levels of Nike."
Ayton played one year at the University of Arizona before becoming the No. 1 pick out of the 2018 NBA Draft. The Suns center was just one player Avenatti "exposed" Tuesday.
He also named Oregon's Bol Bol, who Avenatti said "also received large sums from Nike."
Ask DeAndre Ayton and Nike about the cash payments to his mother and others. Nike’s attempt at diversion and cover-up will fail miserably once prosecutors realize they have been played by Nike and their lawyers at Boies. This reaches the highest levels of Nike.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 26, 2019
Bol Bol and his handlers also received large sums from Nike. The receipts are clear as day. A lot of people at Nike will have to account for their criminal conduct, starting with Carlton DeBose & moving higher up. The diversion charade they orchestrated against me will be exposed
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 26, 2019
Avenatti did not include specific details to back up his allegations.
Instead, he continued his firestorm that included Merl Code, a former Clemson basketball star and Adidas consultant who was one of three executives to already be convicted in the college basketball recruiting scandal.
The corruption at Nike was rampant with Merl Code and increased with his apprentice DeBose after Code left for Adiddas. Those above DeBose knew all about the payments. Nike conspired to route many of the payments through a convicted felon. Nike then lied to the government.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 26, 2019
If Nike was cooperating with the government for over a year relating to this scandal (they weren’t - this is a lie), where are the disclosures in their SEC filings? There are none. Wait until the SEC begins their investigation & starts asking why Nike hid this info from investors
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 26, 2019
Avenatti's revelation, however, wasn't shocking.
Arizona coach Sean Miller has been subpoenaed to testify in the federal trial of Christian Dawkins and Code, who are facing other charges from the FBI investigation. The Oregon basketball program has also been tied to the FBI's investigation.
Avenatti is facing his own charges in two separate cases.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Avenatti "attempted to extract more than $20 million in payments from a publicly traded company by threatening to use his ability to garner publicity to inflict substantial financial and reputational harm on the company if his demands were not met."
Avenatti, 48, is also charged in a separate federal case in Los Angeles, where he is also facing bank and wire fraud charges for alleged embezzlement unrelated to the New York extortion case.
