LOS ANGELES (AP) -The head of the sports agency representing O.J. Mayo denied any illegal activity involving the Southern California star on Monday, a day after ESPN reported Bill Duffy Associates gave cash to an event promoter who provided gifts.
``We are in contact with the NCAA and the Pac-10 and are working with both in a cooperative investigation to review these new allegations,'' USC said in a statement issued later in the day.
Mayo, who sat courtside for Game 4 of the Boston-Cleveland second-round playoff series Monday night, said he was hoping to get more information about the situation when he returned to school.
``I don't think it's good just because I'm really focused on the job, really wanting to do well on my workouts and my preparation, but at the same time it's kind of a road block, another obstacle,'' Mayo told The Associated Press. ``I just want to get to the bottom of it and just find out what's really going on.''
Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo's, told ESPN's ``Outside the Lines'' that BDA Sports provided Rodney Guillory with about $200,000 before Mayo arrived at USC. Johnson said a portion of that money was given to Mayo.
``I haven't seen any evidence of them saying we gave O.J. Mayo a dime, and that has not happened,'' Duffy told the AP. ``I don't see any evidence of any other type of transaction. This is what this guy is saying. Obviously his credibility should be in question as well.''
Mayo has declared for the NBA draft and hired BDA Sports' Calvin Andrews as his agent. ESPN reported Sunday that Mayo received about $30,000 and other benefits while in high school and during his lone season at USC, then entered into a verbal agreement that allowed the agency to represent him when he turned pro.
But Duffy said he only recently met Mayo, and only knew Guillory through the player.
``That's what's crazy. I met O.J. Mayo for the first time like three weeks ago. I met him once before that in Vegas, I ran into him during USA Basketball for like 30 seconds. He was running to a car, I was coming into a hotel, somebody introduced us, we shook hands and that was it. This is the first time I've actually formally met him.''
NBA commissioner David Stern said the league can work with the NCAA, shoe companies, USA Basketball, and high school and coaches associations to protect the athletes.
``Maybe this is the opportunity to do more education about what's right and what's wrong, who to trust and who not, and what the risks are for making bad decisions,'' Stern said in Cleveland. ``It's not our primary sort of role here, but we understand there is a role to be played.''
NCAA rules prohibit giving college athletes money or other gifts. Johnson, who claims he didn't get paid, also gave ESPN receipts and invoices for many of the purchases.
``From what I can see, those receipts were from his purchases,'' Duffy said. ``We had nothing to do with that. I don't even know who this Lou Johnson guy is.''
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers and Associated Press writer Joe Milicia in Cleveland, and AP Assistant Sports Editor for the South region Oscar Dixon contributed to this report.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
