Jake Choi: Pete Lee

Quotes 

• Special Agent Ray Cannon : And do you have any idea why he took you?

  Pete Lee : Uh, he was all over the place, asking me why my agency dropped him. He figured it was because he didn't get drafted by the NBA fast enough. That's why he decided to go pro abroad. He thought if he did well in New Zealand, he could transfer back to an NBA team here.

  Special Agent Sheryll Barnes : Which wasn't the case?

  Pete Lee : No way. He was damaged goods. Everybody named in the bribery scandal was.

  Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott : What scandal?

  Pete Lee : Summer of 2019,right before Manny was about to go to Central Kansas, there was a task force investigating coaches who were bribing prospects to commit to their colleges. And not just coaches... it was also sponsors, agents, financial managers. A lot of people got kickbacks for hooking up top talent.

  Special Agent Sheryll Barnes : High school prospects aren't even supposed to talk to those folks, including agents.

  Pete Lee : W-well, no deals were made, just introductions.

  [CHUCKLES] 

  Pete Lee : The rules were about to change, and everyone saw the writing on the wall.

  Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott : And how was Manny involved with this scandal? Did he take a bribe for attending CKU?

  Pete Lee : It looked like it. When he was a high school senior, he busted a tooth in a game and had to get an implant. It turns out Manny's coach at CKU paid that dental bill for him.

  Special Agent Ray Cannon : How much are we talking?

  Pete Lee : Not much, maybe four or five grand. But a bribe's a bribe.

  Special Agent Sheryll Barnes : And Manny didn't know about any of this until today?

  Pete Lee : That's what he said. I remember CKU quietly removed that coach and withdrew their offers to all his recruits. They ghosted those kids like we did to Manny.

  Special Agent Ray Cannon : How did the cops even find out about the dental payment?

  Pete Lee : The coach at Central Kansas copped to it.He said Manny's high school coach Sam Nathan called him and asked him to, uh, cover it as a favor.Manny didn't know about that, either, and when I told him, he was furious.