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Stan Van Gundy: NCAA is 'maybe the worst organization in sports'

Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Add Stan Van Gundy to the chorus of criticism against the NCAA in recent days.

As the organization and a number of its institutions navigate through a winding FBI investigation surrounding corruption and reputed illegal payments made toward recruits, the Detroit Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations lambasted the college sports association for what he perceives is a lack of concern toward its student-athletes.

"The NCAA is one of the worst organizations - maybe the worst organization - in sports. They certainly don't care about the athletes," he said Sunday, according to The Detroit News' Rod Beard.

Related: Kerr says NCAA needs to allow athletes to make money off their likeness

As amateurs, student-athletes are forbidden from receiving any financial compensation, but the NCAA has been forced into damage control after a bombshell report detailed how several current and former NCAA players received thousands of dollars in loans or held meetings with Christian Dawkins. Dawkins was then an associate of former NBA agent Andy Miller whose office at ASM Sports was raided by the FBI in September as part of their investigation.

NCAA president Mark Emmert responded to the report, stating, if true, they were "systematic failures that must be fixed," though later that same day, Arizona head coach Sean Miller was also implicated in another report when FBI wiretaps purportedly caught him discussing a $100,000 payment with Dawkins to ensure that then-recruit Deandre Ayton would sign with Arizona.

As a potential solution to the NCAA corruption issues, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant wants to abolish the controversial "one-and-done" rule, a remedy Van Gundy also wants to see.

The Pistons' bench boss, though, suggests racial discrimination is a potential roadblock toward making that happen.

"I've always been in favor of that. I've been in favor of that strictly on a fairness issue. ... You can turn 18 and go work anywhere else. An 18-year-old, if they're talented enough, can come into your profession and get a job," he added, courtesy of James Edwards III of The Athletic. "I think, personally, and now I'm definitely on a soap box, but the people against them coming out made a lot of excuses, but I think a lot of it was racist, quite honestly.

"The reason I say that is because I never heard anyone go up in arms like, 'Oh my god, they're going to let these kids play minor-league baseball. Or they're letting these kids go play minor-league hockey. They're not making big money, and they're white kids primarily.

"All of a sudden, now, you've got a black kid who wants to come out of high school and make millions. That's a bad decision? But bypassing college to play for $800/month in minor league baseball is a fine decision? What the hell is going on?"

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