Rich Paul: Darius Bazley's New Balance Internship Came as the Result of a Broken System
Former top high school recruit Darius Bazley signed an endorsement contract with New Balance on Monday and agreed to intern with the shoe company from January through March 2019. The former Syracuse commit – who forfeited his NCAA eligibility and plans to enter the NBA draft in June 2019 – will earn at least $1 million during his internship per the New York Times's Marc Stein.
Bazley's decision has drawn criticism throughout the NCAA and NBA landscape. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim noted Bazley obtained his internship with the help of Rich Paul, LeBron James's agent. Boeheim told reporters on Wednesday, "LeBron did a nice job helping his client. It is LeBron's client right?"
James fired back at Boeheim's comment on Twitter, while Paul discussed the decision on ESPN's The Jump.
"We're talking about a system here that has been broken for a long time," Paul said on Wednesday. "And these kids and the families need options. And for me, I come from the athlete's side where I'm always trying to find out, 'How do I do what's best for the athlete?' not necessarily for me, per se."
You can watch Paul's full segment on The Jump below.
Bazley originally intended to enter the G League before entering the NBA draft, but opted out of the league's developmental program in August. Bazley will work for New Balance and train for the NBA draft in Boston.
