Former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola testified Wednesday that he made payments to the relatives of five players, including the family of Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.
In addition to the payments to Ayton’s family, Gassnola testified on Wednesday that he also made payments to the families of Silvio De Sousa, Dennis Smith Jr., Brian Bowen Jr. and Billy Preston.
Former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola testified that he made payments to the families of five players:
• Brian Bowen Jr.
• Billy Preston
• Dennis Smith Jr.
• Silvio De Sousa
• DeAndre Ayton— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 10, 2018
Gassnola, who ran the Adidas-sponsored New England Playaz grassroots program since 2004 and was an Adidas basketball consultant since 2013, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud. As part of his cooperating agreement, Gassnola must testify truthfully.
He said his annual expenses for flights, hotels and rental cars for himself and his players were about $200,000-$300,000 a year.
He stopped working for Adidas in September 2017 after the FBI made 10 arrests in the case. What a great truthful guy.
