“Same Principle, Different Timing”: How Myron Piggie Went From Prison to Proof the System Was Wrong

When MYRON PIGGIE: THE HUSTLE(R) THAT CHANGED THE GAME was released, it reopened one of amateur basketball’s most controversial chapters. But in today’s NIL era, the story hits differently. Decades ago, Myron Piggie was sent to prison for financially supporting the players he coached. Now, similar moves are praised as smart business.

“Same principle — different timing,” Piggie says.

He never saw himself as a disruptor. He simply cared about his players beyond basketball. But as he reflects, power decides what gets labeled “business” and what gets labeled “crime”, and power hasn’t always looked like him.

Today, as college athletes capitalize on their market value, Piggie’s story feels less like a scandal and more like a warning about a system that hasn’t caught up. And for Piggie, redemption is about peace, perspective, and reclaiming the narrative on his own terms.

Check out the interview below. 

ALSO READ: No Shortcuts, No Spotlight Chasing: Stephen Conner’s Rise Through the Ranks

When you look at today’s NIL era, how does it feel to see actions that once sent you to prison now being praised as “smart business”?

Myron Piggie: Do I wish it didn’t cost me what it did? Of course. But history is full of people who challenged a system before it was ready to change. Now it’s called ‘smart business.’ Back then it was called illegal. Same principle — different timing.

For readers who may not know your full story, what was the real motivation behind financially supporting the players you coached?

Myron: The real motivation was simple — I cared about my players beyond

basketball.

The book suggests you were decades ahead of your time. At the moment it was happening, did you see yourself as a disruptor, or simply doing what was right?

Myron: I was simply doing what I thought was right – I never thought of it as a crime.

How did race and economic class shape the way your actions were judged compared to institutions, boosters, and shoe companies profiting off athletes?

Myron: Power decides what’s business’ and what’s ‘crime. And power hasn’t always

looked like me.

What do you believe the NCAA owes athletes—past and present—who were punished under rules that have since been overturned or exposed as exploitative?

Myron: If the rules were wrong, the punishment was wrong. And wrong deserves

repair.

Your story has clearly resonated beyond basketball and into culture. Why do you think it’s connecting so deeply with creatives, community leaders, and younger generations right now?

Myron: This moment in culture is about reclaiming value — whether you’re an

athlete, artist, or entrepreneur. So when people hear what happened, they don’t just

hear history — they hear relevance.

What was the emotional cost of being labeled a villain for so long, and how have you worked through that personally?

Myron: The hardest part wasn’t prison — it was being misunderstood. Healing started when I stopped trying to win the narrative and started rebuilding the man.

How did collaborating with Michael Watson help reclaim and reshape your narrative after years of it being told by others?

Myron: Stories shape legacy. Courts determine guilt. Media shapes perception. But books and honest dialogue shape understanding. Collaborating with Michael shifted the conversation from ‘what happened " to ‘why” it happened, and that’s where real conversation can change lives.

If NIL had existed during your coaching years, how different do you believe your life and the lives of your players would have been?

Myron: Those young men had market value, and under NIL, we could’ve structured legitimate partnerships, created endorsement opportunities, and taught financial literacy. However, NIL doesn’t rewrite the past, but it proves the model evolved. If that framework had existed, many of us would’ve operated differently. The talent was always there. The value was always there. The rules just hadn’t caught up.

What lessons should today’s young athletes and AAU coaches take from your experience as they navigate money, opportunity, and power?

Myron: First, understand the rules and understand how fast they can change. Second, move

smart, get guidance, and never build something without protecting yourself.

Redemption and legacy are major themes in the book. What does redemption look like for you now?

Myron: For a long time, I thought redemption meant public validation. Now I know it’s peace. It’s waking up without bitterness. It’s rebuilding relationships. It’s mentoring young men and being present in my community. Redemption is internal before it’s external.

If you could speak directly to the version of yourself at the center of the controversy years ago, what would you tell him today?

Myron: I’d tell him you’re not a villain, but you’re not invincible either. You’re trying to help kids win, but you’re underestimating the system you’re up against. You think heart is enough. It’s not. I’d also tell him this: you’re going to lose a lot… but you’re going to survive. And one day, the world will understand the context you couldn’t fully see yet.