Brian Bowen Jr.'s Adidas Lawsuit Dismissed After Louisville Recruiting Scandal

Brian Bowen Jr.'s lawsuit against Adidas was dismissed by a federal judge in South Carolina on Wednesday. 

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, United States district judge Joseph F. Anderson wrote in a ruling that the court doesn't doubt Bowen's "life was upended by the revelation of payments to his father and the University of Louisville's decision to withhold him from NCAA competition," however, the arguments presented were "not relevant to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act's ("RICO") statutory standing requirements."

Bowen filed a lawsuit in November 2018 against seven defendants, including Adidas, implicated in the bribery scandal involving the University of Louisville. 

Adidas director of global marketing James Gatto, Adidas consultant Merl Code and client recruiter/runner Christian Dawkins, who were all convicted in the case, were also named in the lawsuit. 

Bowen claimed that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit derailed his NBA career when they promised to pay his father $100,000 if he committed to play basketball at Louisville.

Schlabach reported earlier this month that Adidas filed a cross-complaint against Brian Bowen Sr., former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola and financial planner Munish Sood, alleging they conspired with some of its employees to "misappropriate the apparel company's money to pay players' families to steer them toward Adidas-sponsored schools."

Bowen was suspended from all team activities at Louisville in Sept. 2017. He initially planned to enter the 2018 NBA draft, but withdrew from the draft in order to potentially pursue a G League contract or play overseas. 

In August 2018, Bowen signed with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League in Australia. The 22-year-old spent one year overseas before returning to the United States. 

Bowen spent most of the past two seasons with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League after signing a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers.  He has appeared in 12 NBA games since the start of the 2019-20 season. 

The Pacers waived Bowen in April.