A Former Alabama Walk-On Just Won 9.25 Million Dollars From the New York Times

The Verdict

A federal jury awarded former Alabama basketball player Kai Spears 9.25 million dollars on Thursday, August 21, finding that the New York Times defamed him.

What the Paper Published

In 2023, the Times reported that Spears was a passenger in a car involved in the death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. Spears denied it at the time and has denied it since.

The jury found for him.

He Said It Plainly Three Years Ago

Spears did not wait for a courtroom to dispute the story.

“The report in the New York Times was 100% inaccurate and the writer had complete disregard for the truth,” he said in 2023.

That statement is now the through-line of the case. A walk-on player publicly accused one of the largest news organizations in the world of getting a story about him wrong, held that position for three years, and a federal jury found in his favor.

Who He Is

Spears was a walk-on at the University of Alabama - the least protected job in college athletics. He transferred to Marshall in 2024 and moved again this offseason to West Liberty, a Division II program.

That trajectory is worth stating because of what it says about the imbalance. This was not a star with a media apparatus behind him. It was a roster player at the end of the bench taking on a national newspaper, and moving down two divisions while the case ran.

Why the Number Is the Story

Verdicts of this size against a national newspaper are uncommon. Most defamation claims are resolved or dismissed before a jury sees them.

What is on the record here is narrow and worth stating precisely: a jury heard the case, found for Spears, and set damages at 9.25 million dollars. The award is what makes it notable, not a broader conclusion about press standards.

What Is Not Yet Known

The Times has options after a verdict of this kind, including post-trial motions and appeal. Nothing about the award being announced makes it final.

References: Ex-Alabama basketball player awarded $9.25 million in a defamation case against the New York Times | New York Times Loses $9.25M Defamation Verdict to Ex-Alabama Player