An Alabama judge is under fire for a conflict of interest in his recent ruling that granted former G League player Charles Bediako’s college eligibility.
Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge James Roberts Jr. granted Bediako temporary eligibility on Wednesday, allowing the 23-year-old to suit up for Alabama as soon as this weekend. The ruling comes despite Bediako playing in the G League over the last three seasons and even previously signing a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
A report published Friday by Front Office Sports’ Alex Schiffer shed light on Roberts’ ties to the Crimson Tide program. Roberts and his wife Mary are on record as six-figure donors to the Crimson Tide Foundation, with their contributions ranging between $100,000 and $249,999.
That’s not the couple’s only tie to the Crimson Tide basketball program. Per the report, Mary Turner Roberts is also on the legal team defending former Alabama player Darius Miles against a murder charge. Miles and Bediako were teammates from 2021 to 2023.
Bediako went undrafted in 2023 but landed on the Spurs’ NBA Summer League roster. San Antonio waived Bediako after he suffered a torn meniscus, parting ways with the Canadian center before he ever played for the Spurs’ main squad.
Bediako played in the G League as recently as last week. He scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in the Motor City Cruise’s 127-103 win over the Birmingham Squadron.
