The NCAA does not enforce laws Afamu, they enforce rules. Thomas did nothing illegal, just did something against the NCAA rules by taking pay to play.
My college room mate ended up making twenty plus million dollars a year by the time his two boy started college. Both went to private high schools and colleges. They never got $100,000 combined in their 8 years of college to spend on shit like jewelry and they went to Mass. colleges where were more expensive than Duke.
In fact I have never know a college kids with $100,000 worth of jewelry. So how could a middle class kid going to Duke on a basketball scholarship decide he would buy that much jewelry without some source of funds?
What did he put down? $30,000 up front and borrowed from the Jewelry store the remainder, which was what about $70,000. So my big first question is where did he get the original down payment? I have never know a college kid, even from a rich family, walking around town with $30,000.
But I am a poor old boy from the sticks of Kentucky and I don't know how rich New York folks act. But I do know how they get a lot of money.
Three of my high school team mates played college basketball and they were as broke as me during college. And yes one played at Kentucky, one at Western Kentucky and one at Oklahoma State. They still don't own $100,000 worth of jewelry and all three had good careers. One was an engineer, one a lawyer and one a real estate guy.
I am sure that you understand most of us guys that did not go to Duke can not understand or appreciate a college kid buying $100,000 worth of jewelry.