Pete Thamel of the New York Times has released a new article about Kentucky freshman Enes Kanter.
In the latest article, a Turkish GM accuses Kanter’s father of trying to negotiate pro contracts for his son, states that he provided documentation to the NCAA and even insinuates that Kanter is not sharp academically.
Here is an excerpt:
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[COLOR=black]While Calipari is confident Kanter will play for the Wildcats this season, Karakas disagreed. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]“It was a surprise for us to learn that the N.C.A.A. permitted Enes to practice with U.K.,” he said. “The documents we have provided the N.C.A.A. with should have been sufficient to decide.” [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Calipari declined to comment through a university spokesman who said Kentucky officials cannot comment on continuing N.C.A.A. issues. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Mehmet Kanter, Enes’s father, told The Sporting News in an e-mail last week that Fenerbahce officials “are trying to set an example” of Kanter to scare off other talented players in their youth system from playing college basketball in the United States. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Karakas disagreed with Mehmet Kanter’s contention that he “never once” discussed salary with Fenerbahce and kept “meticulous” records to ensure his son retained his amateur status. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]“On the contrary to what he had said about his academic approach, he himself was the one to negotiate the terms of his son’s salary,” Karakas said. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Mehmet Kanter declined comment through e-mail, and his lawyer, Timothy Epstein, declined comment in a phone interview. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Karakas said the club was wealthy enough that it did not need the fee, which European basketball observers estimated at less than $500,000. Karakas said the club has an annual income of $275 million and is building a sports center in Istanbul that will cost more than $300 million. The club is considered one of the most prestigious in the EuroLeague, and its reputation in Turkey is similar to that of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in the United States. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]“Three or 4 million U.S.D. would not mean that much,” Karakas wrote. “So before he talks to press, I would advise Coach Calipari to learn more about the people and/or institutions he will brag about.” [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Karakas denied a request to show the bank statements and other documents he said he gave to the N.C.A.A. He said Fenerbahce officials promised the N.C.A.A. not to share them. He said when the N.C.A.A. decided on Kanter’s eligibility, he would be willing to share the copies. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]“Fenerbahce Ulker respects and supports the N.C.A.A. eligibility process, and we did our best by answering all of their questions openly and providing the needed documents,” he said. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]“Fenerbahce is a serious association with high understanding of social responsibility and has always respected the shareholders of sports business.”[/COLOR]
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The article adds:
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Mehmet Kanter told The Sporting News that his son aimed to come to the United States to further his education.
Karakas disagreed, saying academics were not among Enes Kanter’s strengths. He said Fenerbahce had no problem helping academically inclined players on their youth teams, like the Texas senior Dogus Balbay, go to the United States to play college basketball and earn their degree. “Enes has a good basketball potential yet academically, he is not gifted as much,” Karakas said.
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Here is a [URL=”http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/sports/ncaabasketball/13kentucky.html?_r=1″]link[/URL] to the complete article
