Let's Make One Thing Clear About This Zion Story: No One Gives A Shit If He Got Paid, It's All About Coach K And Duke's Holier Than Thou Bullshit

Obviously this is the biggest story in college hoops right now. An attorney is trying to get Zion Williamson or his mom/stepfather to go under oath and admit whether or not he accepted benefits to go to Duke. This stems from his lawsuit against a sports marketing agency that he originally signed with and then left for CAA. You can find all the details about that here: 

It's also going to be forever if we ever find out if he's taking the stand

But I wanted to blog this for one reason and one reason only. Make it very clear that I don't give a shit if Zion got paid. I think my stance on this has been pretty obvious for years now. I think the free market should dictate what college athletes are paid. If someone wants to give them $10,000 for an ad, they should get it. Who gives a shit? Someone is deeming this is what they are worth and we shouldn't care at all.

The whole reason so many people - including myself - want this to be a big deal is K's holier than thou bullshit. The fact he acts like he's 'above' anything like this. The same goes for Duke and Duke fans. He tried to pretend that one-and-dones were ruining college basketball and then instantly started recruiting guys like Zion, Kyrie, Tatum, etc. That wasn't a coincidence. 

Coach K is a fantastic coach as well as a tremendous dickhead and sore loser, if everyone would just openly admit those three things can all exist together and stop pretending this guy is a saint, the world would be a better place.

It's all this bullshit like 'The Brotherhood' and saying that K/Duke would never let benefits be a reason why someone went there. K is like every single other coach. Remember the jeweler with Lance Thomas? Remember Corey Maggette straight up admitting he received benefits (the same way Camby received them from an agent, James Wiseman did before he went to Memphis with Penny and countless others) and the NCAA did nothing? 

I don’t care that players get paid. I want them to get paid. I also want Coach K to be viewed as what he is. Like every other goddamn coach in the country. He’s not running a clean program. He’s not some perfectly clean coach. Maybe stop looking at the scrappy white point guard slapping the floor in front of those nerds at Cameron and you’ll see it too.

Fuck Duke and fuck their fake reputation.