Report: Shabazz Muhammad’s father took loan on son’s potential earnings

The saga just never seems to end.

A year after Shabazz Muhammad finished his UCLA basketball career, the controversy he left in his wake continues to swirl. On Wednesday, BuzzFeed reported that his father, Ron Holmes, had taken out a loan based on Muhammad’s future earnings — something that could again run foul of NCAA investigators.

Three months ago, Holmes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal fraud. That came nine months after the Los Angeles Times revealed that Holmes had falsified Muhammad’s age, making him a year younger with the likely hope of furthering his basketball career.

The latest revelation appears in a court document from Holmes’ legal case obtained by BuzzFeed. In it, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Schiess writes that Holmes told the FBI on March 21, 2013, that he had been “living on a loan tied to his son’s projected earnings as a top NBA prospect.”

Muhammad did not play in his final game as a Bruin until March 22, 2013, scoring 20 points in an 83-63 loss to Minnesota in the NCAA tournament.

The NCAA had cleared Muhammad after he sat out the first three games of that season, but could elect to re-investigate now that new evidence has emerged. Since Holmes admitted to benefiting from his son’s athletic ability while he was still in college, the NCAA could have grounds to retroactively rule Muhammad ineligible and potentially vacate UCLA wins.

Of course, the NCAA might also be more concerned with other matters at the moment.