Bazley will learn about making shoes and creating storyboards for New Balance GETTY IMAGES
Top basketball prospect Darius Bazley's $1M "internship" with New Balance came about because the brand is "reintroducing themselves back into basketball business" and Bazley "aligned with who they are as a company," according to Klutch Sports' Rich Paul, who reps Bazley. New Balance is a "fearless, independent brand" and what they represent aligns "directly with who Darius Bazley is and what they wanted him to do.” The company "wanted to be able" to tell Bazley's story "in the right way." Paul: "I don't have a platform for NBA scouts to reach out and call and say, ‘Well what’s his character like?’” Bazley will "learn what goes into making a shoe, what goes into building a storyboard, why they picked the certain athlete that they picked, and so roll out the plan, how to execute it." He will "know more about the business around the game than anybody in his class" (“The Jump,” ESPN, 10/24). In Syracuse, Mike Waters wondered if Bazley's deal and better contracts in the NBA G League could "force the NCAA into stepping up its compensation to athletes." ACC Commissioner John Swofford said, "I don't think the numbers are going to be great with the G League. ... There are going to continue to be an awfully lot of young men out there coming out of high school that are very good basketball players that understand and see the value of a college education over their lifetime" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 10/25). The AP's Aaron Beard noted Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner "questions whether most players who might take the G League route would be able to land similar deals" as Bazley. Pastner said, “For the guy who’s maybe ranked in the top 10 or 5 in the recruiting classes, they can maybe do it. Maybe they do get a shoe deal or something like that. But if you don’t have a lot of hype, I don’t know who’s going to take you or even get you under contract” (AP, 10/24).
