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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Charles Bediako’s injunction hearing was adjourned at 10:45 a.m. CT on Friday.
Tuscaloosa County judge Daniel Pruet asked for any proposed orders from the attorneys to be filed by 4 p.m., as a verdict is yet to be made.
BamaCentral was in the Tuscaloosa County courtroom during the hearing. The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. David Holt, Bediako’s attorney, made his case up until 9:58 a.m., while Taylor Askew, one of the NCAA’s attorneys, went until 10:35 a.m. before a 10-minute rebuttal from Holt.
Here are BamaCentral’s notes and quotes taken in chronological order from the case between plaintiff attorney Holt and defendant attorney Askew:
Plaintiff David Holt
- “We’re here this morning because the NCAA does the opposite of what it says it does.”
- 80 percent of the current AP Top 25 in college basketball has at least one professional player.
- 61 of 79 teams the plaintiff conducted have at least one pro, as Holt referenced Baylor’s James Nnaji
- The only distinction of Bediako against other pros playing in college is that he already spent two years in college, and Holt argues that has “no meaning.”
- Euro League players make $500,000 to $800,000, while NBA G League players make $40,000 to $50,000
- Bediako made $530,000 in about three years in the NBA G League.
- “Bediako is a U.S. citizen…working to complete a college degree.”
- “Not only would a denial take away his time on the basketball court, he would also lose the opportunity of completing an education.”
- Holt claims that Bediako can still hold a roster spot today if he never left Alabama for the 2023 NBA Draft due to the five-year window.
- Holt calls for a “clear rule” regarding collegiate eligibility.
- “If Mr. Bediako isn’t granted, he’s done.”
- “It is a possibility, but not a certainty, that he gets back in the G League?
- Can the NCAA enact and enforce rules? “Yes, but there is no meaningful difference from Charles and any other professional athlete.”
- “The NCAA puts rules in an arbitrary manner.”
Defendant Taylor Askew
- “It’s not exciting and fun to look a young man in the eye and say, ‘You can’t play.’ But this is not a court of emotion, this is a court of law.
- Askew argues it’s not right that “Alabama has a seat at the table” among other Division I schools “to decide rules.”
- The NCAA looked at the waiver request and said Bediako is ineligible.
- “This case, if we’re being honest, is about money.”
- Bediako said in a motion that he is only at Alabama for one semester.
- “What he might lose is the opportunity to take Alabama’s rev share.”
- Once you set the relative market, only Bediako compensates and these rules are depressing for all college basketball players.
- When Bediako signed the rev share contract, he knew Alabama had him as ineligible.
- The NCAA doesn’t have anything to interfere with that rev share contract.
- “Most importantly, you can’t interfere with a contract unless you’re a stranger to it. It’s impossible for us to be a stranger, we’re the NCAA.”
- “364 other teams told us to follow these rules.”
- “We can point to nothing in the bylaws that says other pros can’t play.”
- “The NCAA is an association of members…Bediako was on the Spurs’ opening night roster…we can’t break the rules.”
- Askew mentioned Diego Pavia’s injunction, along with Trinidad Chambliss and Joey Aguilar.
- “If you deny his injunction, his case isn’t over…he just has to wait for the money and then he can play in the pros again.”
- Askew mentioned Louisville’s London Johnson, whose 5-year window was valid because he played two years in the pros and never in college.
- “Two seasons at Alabama, two in the G League, he’s out of seasons.”
- There’s not a built-in system for pro players from other countries, some are lower level than even the highest American high schools.
- Askew argued against Texas A&M forward Rashaun Agee.
- “It’s not the NCAA, it’s a court system looking at emotion instead of fact.”
- Askew said that when you sign an NBA contract, you’re getting paid above reasonable expenses.
Holt’s Rebuttal
- “The NCAA argues a morpheus relationship between Bediako and the University of Alabama.”
- “We have a student-athlete no different than hundreds of athletes being paid.”
- Bediako is seeking a reinstatement, not a statement. Rashaun Agee was reinstated.
- They don’t have to ban Bediako, the rules have a presumption that he can overcome. There’s an arbitrary distinction between Bediako and those getting paid.
