re: John Calipari's hidden recruiting weapon: ties with Jay-Z, Drake

quote:

---

Anthony Davis was charging right into the still delirious Kentucky section of the Superdome, where friends and family sit, after the Wildcats’ 67-59 victory over Kansas in the national title game. He was searching for his family. First he found the program’s friends.

He came across William Wesley, the basketball power broker who’s befriended stars from Michael Jordan to LeBron James. The two locked in a long embrace, rocking back and forth in celebration. When Worldwide Wes let go, Davis moved on to Lynn Merritt, Nike Basketball’s senior director and a man of immense influence in the game.

Later in the locker room, Davis and the rest of the Wildcats would hug it out with Phil Knight, the Nike founder and freshly minted Hall of Famer who was wearing the same “No 1 Greater” championship hat they were. Soon Knight and Wes were locked in joy themselves.

---