The closing day of the FBI’s college basketball investigation court case brought out potentially the most explosive statements of the entire trial.
According to Jim Gatto’s attorney, Kansas head coach Bill Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend knew of and asked for Adidas to make a payment to Silvio de Sousa’s handler.
‘Kansas’ Head coach knew of and asked for a payment to be made to Silvio de Sousa’s handler.
‘Coach Self and Coach Townsend knew of and asked Adidas to make this payment to Fenny.’
-Michael Schacter, Jim Gatto’s attorney
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 18, 2018
Earlier in the trial; TJ Gassnola, a former Adidas consultant, testified under oath that he paid $90,000 to former Kansas player Billy Preston’s mother and $20,000 to De Sousa’s guardian.
Here are parts of the transcript of defense attorney Michael Schachter talking today during closing about Kansas and the Adidas payments. pic.twitter.com/eaM7qoMaR6
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 18, 2018
Here are more details:
“Kansas’ head coach knew of and asked for a payment to be made to Silvio De Sousa’s handler,” Schachter argued Thursday. “Coach Self and Coach Townsend asked for Adidas’ help in making this payment to Fenny.”
Edward Diskant, the government’s lead prosecutor, meantime, argued that “the coaches at the universities weren’t allowed to be doing this” and there was “no mention” of Self or Pitino ever discussing money.
Court testimony also shows that on Sept. 19, 2017 — three days before KU Athletics announced a 12-year contract extension with Adidas — Gassnola texted Self to thank him for helping complete the deal. Self replied via text that he was happy with Adidas and wrote “Just got to get a couple real guys.”
“Coach Self, in T.J. Gassnola’s view, speaks for Kansas, and Kansas wants Adidas to help Kansas recruit,” Schachter said Thursday. “Nike does the same thing for their schools, and if Adidas doesn’t do the same, it’s going to lose its sponsorships to Nike.”
Schachter said in his closing argument that when Self said he was happy with Adidas, he was linking KU’s extension of its agreement with Adidas to “getting a couple of real guys.” Schachter argued the coaches wanted the payments, adding Gatto was trying to help Kansas and Louisville and not defraud them.
”It appears to Jim that this is something colleges are aware of and encourage,” he said. “Kansas today has not canceled Silvio De Sousa’s scholarship.”
