Nike's EYBL discussed paying Zion Williamson, Romeo Langford, lawyer Michael Avenatti reportedly alleges

Tom Gatto

Nike's EYBL discussed paying Zion Williamson, Romeo Langford, lawyer Michael Avenatti reportedly alleges image

Two of the men in charge of Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League had discussions with a Nike executive about paying Zion Williamson $35,000 and Romeo Langford $20,000 while the players were still in high school, lawyer Michael Avenatti alleged Wednesday.

Avenatti, in a motion to dismiss federal charges that he tried to extort Nike, claimed (per Yahoo Sports) that Nike "possesses" text messages from 2017 between EYBL manager Jamal James, EYBL director Carlton DeBose and Nike recruiting coordinator John Stovall, in which prices were set for Williamson, Langford and a third player, whose name was not revealed because he is a minor.

Stovall listed $35,000 for Williamson, $20,000 for Langford and $15,000 for the third player, Avenatti claimed in the motion, adding that DeBose texted that he would be "willing" to pay those amounts.

MORE: Duke looking into claims Nike paid Williamson's mother

Yahoo reported that there is no indication that Williamson and Langford were paid or even received offers. Avenatti claimed in the motion that Stovall told James and DeBose in a later conversation that "they still 'had not presented our new offer' to Williamson but agreed that it was not a good idea 'to put it in print.'"

Williamson signed with Duke, a Nike program, and Langford went to Indiana, which is outfitted by Nike rival Adidas. Both players are now in the NBA after playing a single college season.

Prosecutors allege that Avenatti tried to shake down Nike for upwards of $25 million by threatening to disclose payments he said the apparel maker made to players' families. Avenatti allegedly told Nike he would not go public if the company paid him and fellow attorney Mark Geragos to investigate the payments.

Avenatti denies the allegations, and his motion cited by Yahoo tracks with his stated plan to fight them. Geragos has not been charged. 

Federal prosecutors in 2018 gained convictions for James Gatto, an executive of Adidas, and two other men — Merl Code and Christian Dawkins — as part of an investigation into corruption in college basketball. The three men conspired to bribe coaches to steer players to programs that had contracts with Adidas. Four former NCAA Division I assistant coaches pleaded guilty in the case.

A report in September 2017 said the FBI issued subpoenas to employees of EYBL, Nike's grassroots division, as part of the investigation. Avenatti has cited that report in denying the allegations against him.

Yahoo's report did not mention whether James, DeBose and Stovall had been reached for comment.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.