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Welcome to Office Chair Sports! Your home for everything Sports & Biz!

Hope you had a great holidays and here’s to a happy new year! Last newsletter issue of 2024, let’s go!

Today, we’re covering top news about:

• Ex-FSU Players Sue Their Coach

• 2024 Sports Year In Review

• The Reality Of NIL Deals

• Maryland’s NIL Budget

• LeBron Turns 40

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Ex-FSU Players Sue Their Coach

Here's a wild story out of Florida State - six former basketball players are suing their old coach Leonard Hamilton, claiming he promised them each $250,000 in NIL money that never showed up.

The drama got so intense last season that players actually boycotted practice before a Duke game and were planning to skip the game too. Hamilton managed to talk them down by promising (again) that the money would be in their accounts the next week.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

The text messages included in the lawsuit paint a pretty rough picture. Players were texting Will Cowen, an NIL collective exec, about needing money for rent and car payments. One player straight up told Hamilton, "Tired of the lies coach. It's messing with my head."

Four of the players ended up transferring, and two graduated - all without seeing a dime of that promised $1.5 million total.

2024 Sports Year In Review

ESPN just released their year in review of the best sports moments in 2024.

Here's a month-by-month look at 2024's biggest sports moments:

January

• Luke Littler's incredible run to the World Darts Championship final at age 17

• Jurgen Klopp announces shock Liverpool exit

• Louis Rees-Zammit leaves rugby for NFL dream

February

• Lewis Hamilton's stunning move to Ferrari announced

• Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl over 49ers in OT

• Liverpool wins Carabao Cup in Klopp's farewell season

March

• Ireland wins Six Nations despite classic loss to England

• Nottingham Forest and Everton hit with points deductions

April

• Caitlin Clark sets NCAA tournament scoring record

• Wrexham earns second straight promotion

• England women win third straight rugby Grand Slam

May

• Usyk outpoints Fury in heavyweight title unification

• Man City wins Premier League; United takes FA Cup

• Emma Hayes ends Chelsea reign with fifth straight WSL title

June

• Real Madrid wins 15th Champions League title

• Rory McIlroy's heartbreak at U.S. Open

• Boston Celtics claim NBA Championship

July

• Spain defeats England in Euro 2024 final

• Southgate steps down as England manager

August

• Team GB equals London 2012 medal count at Paris Olympics

• Keely Hodgkinson wins historic track gold

• Andy Murray's emotional Olympic farewell

September

• Jack Draper's surprise U.S. Open semifinal run

• Jodie Grinham wins Paralympic medal while pregnant

October

• Ten Hag sacked by Manchester United

• Thomas Tuchel takes over as England manager

November

• Rafael Nadal retires after Davis Cup loss

• New Zealand edges England in autumn rugby thriller

December

• Usyk beats Fury again in rematch

The Reality Of NIL Deals

It seems like every day we see a new athlete making bank off NIL deals, but that’s just not the reality for 99% of collegiate athletes.

Here's a breakdown of college sports' NIL landscape four years in:

The reality isn't quite as glamorous as the headlines suggest. While stars like Angel Reese can land $2 million McDonald's deals, the typical college athlete's experience is way more modest.

The median earnings? Just $500.

Even though the average is $21,331, that number's skewed by the big earners - more than half of all NIL deals are under $100.

The money flows mostly to football and basketball players (especially men), though there are exceptions like LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne. At Auburn, football players average $7,400 monthly, while the typical college football player makes about $3,400.

But even smaller deals matter. As NIL expert Robert Boland puts it, a few hundred bucks can mean a student-athlete doesn't need a part-time job during school.

Maryland’s NIL Budget

Here's an inside look at how college basketball's new pay-for-play era is changing everything, straight from Maryland coach Kevin Willard.

Starting next season, schools can spend up to $20 million on players, and Maryland basketball is looking at a $4-5 million slice of that pie – up from about $3 million this year. It's a wild shift from just a few years ago when coaches could get jail time for paying players.

"The coach today, it's more than just a coach," Willard says. "You have to be an NBA general manager." He spends half his day talking to agents now, juggling current rosters while planning next year's portal moves. With stars Julian Reese and Derik Queen likely leaving, there's big money coming off the books to spend on transfers.

The irony isn't lost on him: "An assistant coach from Arizona got arrested and put in jail for talking about money, and now all of a sudden, we're going to be spending $4-5 million per year on a basketball roster."

LeBron Turns 40

LeBron is 40 now. 22 years in the league is crazy. But the man is still hooping, averaging 23.5 points a game.

Here’s a recap of LeBron’s top 40 moments in his career. We’ll highlight a few below.

Top 5:

1. The Boston Game (2012) - His legendary stare and clutch performance facing elimination

2. The Decision (2010) - Changed player empowerment forever

3. Game 7 vs Warriors (2016) - Including "The Block" and Cleveland's first title

4. Breaking Kareem's scoring record (2023)

5. 25 straight points vs Pistons (2007) - His playoff coming-out party at age 22

Next Best:

• First NBA title (2012)

• Billionaire status (2022)

• Opening I Promise School (2018)

• Eight straight Finals appearances (2011-18)

• Father-son moment playing with Bronny (2024)

Historical Achievements:

• First to 40,000 points

• Four NBA titles with three different teams

• Two Olympic gold medals

• Oldest to average a triple-double for a month

• First-ever 20-point, 20-rebound game at 39

Career Beginnings:

• 2003 NBA debut: 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds

• Youngest to score 30 points

• Youngest All-Star MVP

• 2004 Rookie of the Year

• "The Chosen One" Sports Illustrated cover (2002)

If you’re a fan of the NBA, you literally watched this guy grow up on the court. Whether you’re a hater or not, you can’t doubt this man’s legacy. Forever a legend of the game.

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