College Basketball

Former Laker LeRoy Ellis was given a job by a Syracuse alumnus at about the time his son LeRon decided to transfer from Kentucky to the school, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported.

The story followed by a day a lengthy report in the Post-Standard in which past and current players said they received cash from team boosters, free meals, favorable grade changes, merchandise from community businessmen and cut-rate automobiles.

The Post-Standard said that LeRon Ellis appeared ready to transfer to Nevada Las Vegas in June of 1989 after Kentucky was put on probation by the NCAA.

According to the Post-Standard, Ellis’ father received a license to work as a real estate salesman for the Hicker Co., Inc., which does business as the Cardinal Co. in Sherman Oaks. The company’s owner, George Hicker, was a teammate of Coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse during the 1960s.