Half Court Basketball Shot Winner May Lose $20K

Cameron Rodriguez, fan of basketball franchise Oklahoma City Thunder, was thrilled when he managed to drain a half-court shot during half time in a game between the team and Denver Nuggets, especially since he’d be pocketing $20,000 for his skillful shot.  However, Rodriguez may not see the money coming his way if the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics decides to stick too closely to its rules.

Rodriguez happens to be a basketball player at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas and strict NAIA rules state that a student athlete is not allowed to use his or her sporting skills for any form of financial gain while studying in college. This means that Rodriguez’s $20,000 shot may be worth nothing if the association counts it as using his skill for financial gain.

The 23 year old player said that he was well aware of the rules but just didn’t think about them when he took the shot. “I didn’t really think about it at first because I was way too excited,” he said in a media interview. “After things settled down, I realized we might have an issue because I was receiving a large amount of money.”

Rodriguez and his school approached the NAIA with the idea of allowing him to keep the prize money, considering that he will use it to pay for school tuition, and especially since he is not on full scholarship.

The NAIA confirmed that Rodriguez immediately contacted them after he won the prize money and praised him for his transparency. “The fact that he connected with the right officials to make sure that he understood the proper application of the rule is something that we expect, and we’re glad to see,” noted John Leavens for the NAIA.

It will take a week or two for the NAIA to reach a final decision regarding Rodriguez’s right to keep the prize money.