A former Adidas marketing director was sentenced to nine months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to bribe high school basketball players, according to court records.
Jim Gatto, who held the position of Adidas marketing director during the scheme, was convicted of funneling payments to star high school athletes to secure future endorsement deals. The payments aimed to influence players to attend Adidas-sponsored universities, collaborate with the company professionally, and work with agent Christian Dawkins.
Documents revealed that the family of Dennis Smith Jr., now a New York Knicks point guard, received $40,000 (Sh4 million) through the arrangement. Dawkins and Adidas consultant Merl Code also received prison sentences for their roles in the scheme.
A trial witness disclosed that Deandre Ayton, the 2018 NBA draft's first overall pick, was also targeted by the program. The case has drawn attention to the financial complexities of college sports, where athletes receive no direct compensation beyond scholarships despite generating significant revenue.
