Rob Dillingham, one of America’s top high school basketball recruits, is reportedly leaving Kanye West’s Donda Academy to sign with Overtime Elite (OTE), a pro league featuring 17- to 20-year-olds hoping to reach the NBA.
‘I couldn’t be more excited to join OTE,’ Rob Dillingham said in a statement. ‘The team and resources they offer are amazing and this is an incredible opportunity to continue to develop my game and take it to the next level, while competing against elite talent.’
The 6-foot-2 point guard will retain his college eligibility because he’s signing a scholarship agreement with OTE and will not be getting paid. He has committed to college hoops powerhouse Kentucky after being ranked 13th in the class of 2023, according to 247 Sports.
OTE recently announced a multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video for global streaming rights to 20 live league games.
Dillingham’s decision comes after West ignited controversy with a string of public, anti-Semitic comments. As a result, Donda Academy’s basketball team has been barred from events, raising questions about the futures of its highly recruited players.
And in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com last month, Dillingham’s father Donald slammed West and his Donda Academy for luring his son to the school and allegedly hiding the youngster from him for weeks.
Rob Dillingham, one of America’s top high school basketball recruits, is reportedly leaving Kanye West’s Donda Academy to sign with Overtime Elite, a pro league featuring 17- to 20-year-olds hoping to reach the NBA. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com last month, Dillingham’s father Donald (left) slammed West and his Donda Academy for luring his son to the school and allegedly hiding the youngster from him for weeks
Donald Dillingham exclusively told DailyMail.com of his despair over his basketball prodigy son Robert, 17, ditching Combine Academy in North Carolina for the California school after the rapper’s tempting video call
Donald Dillingham claims Robert was poached by the rapper and his staff so they could ‘cash in’ on his talent. He said he was devastated when the now disgraced artist Facetimed his boy and coaxed him into leaving Combine Academy in North Carolina for the California school.
He also told how the elite recruit, who was 16 at the time, was shipped off to LA without Donald’s knowledge or consent and allegedly kept away from his father.
Donda Academy was roped into the ongoing controversy after West’s spree of anti-Semitic rants that included threatening war on the Jewish people. The school said it was going to close on October 27th before reversing that decision within a day.
Donald told DailyMail.com he was shocked when Robert was stripped from him and moved from Combine to Donda ‘without my knowledge or consent’.
He said: ‘I thought [Rob] was in a great situation. Look how that worked out.’
Donald told how West personally Facetimed his son and allegedly put him on the spot to join the start-up academy.
‘He [West] said, ”what’re you gonna do?” If you’re a sixteen-year-old and somebody like Kanye West asks you that…’
In Facebook posts last year, days after the call, Dillingham launched a furious attack on the rapper and school for allegedly poaching Robert behind his back: ‘As Rob’s dad, I was not informed about the offer to attend Donda Academy.
‘Neither Rob’s mother, brother or sister have communicated Rob’s whereabouts to me.’
It comes as Donda Academy (pictured) has been tossed into turmoil amid West’s spree of anti-Semitic rants
Dillingham told DailyMail.com of his dismay when he found out his son was ditching Combine Academy to travel across the country and play for the unaccredited Donda
Robert has committed to playing for Kentucky when he graduates but is expected to miss a few games for Donda due to the fallout over West’s remarks
Donda Academy has recruited top basketball talent from across the nation’s high schools, and houses the students in luxury apartment buildings with chaperones
He accused staff at Donda of ‘creating a wedge’ between him and his son which he said gave them a chance to ‘influence’ the boy.
He continued: ‘Kanye West’s school, Donda Academy, has not yet opened, is not accredited, and has about 60 students serving students from K to grade 12.
‘Apparently, Rob was contacted by Kanye West and asked by Kanye to make a decision on the spot. Of course Rob with his sixteen-year-old mind, would say yes.
‘What was the pull for Rob to leave a perfect situation and move across the country to a school that is not even open?
‘Robert has missed three weeks of school at Combine and could lose his eligibility to be a senior next school year.’
He added days later: ‘This is the fifth week since my son, Robert Dillingham left North Carolina without my knowledge or consent.’
‘I am unable to speak to my son, to my family, and Donda Academy refuses to speak to me about my son’s enrollment.
‘There has been so much deception, everything has spun out of control. My feeling is that Robert wants to reach out to me, but cannot.
‘All of you parents out there should understand how it feels to see your child in a bad situation but are helpless to keep them from harm.
‘I just want to talk to my son and know that he is okay and is not being exploited. I was informed that Robert was instructed not to talk to me.
‘Robert is acting out of character. I am the parent that travelled from city to city and state to state to give my son the exposure that only families with deep pockets can purchase.
Kanye West’s exclusive Christian school announced it would be closing for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year before parents then said it was remaining open
But those recruits had some of their prospects dashed this week as a result of West’s behavior, after the team found itself booted from the prestigious Scholastic Play-By-Play Classics tournament
A note on Donda Academy last month made it appear the school had been shuttered
‘This is not an attempt for me to force him to attend a school or take a path that he has not chosen for himself and this was not our plan. We had a goal of him playing college basketball and getting a free education. I had no idea that our family would be going through this madness.
‘I love all of my children and Robert is my youngest child. From a very young age, I felt he had a special purpose in this life.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to warn parents to watch the people that they allow their children to associate with because I am realizing that this is something that happens often with poor and broken families.
‘I am desperate to speak with my son. I admit that I haven’t been the perfect parent, but my love and concern for my child is genuine.
‘The stress of all of this is effecting my health. I will not relax until I am certain that my son is safe.’
School officials emailed parents to announce the school’s closure for the remainder of the school year only to change course within a day (pictured, the basketball team)
Donda Academy announced it would be reopening its doors just hours after the principal said the school would shutter for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year
Parents at the exclusive Christian school received an email near midnight on October 27 explaining that the school would be ‘returning with a vengeance,’ the following morning, a hard U-turn from a message they received just hours earlier from school administrators
Robert has committed to playing for Kentucky when he graduates.
When asked last month if he was leaving the academy early, Robert told the New York Times in a text: ‘No the school is not shut down that is for the kids has nothing to do with us.’
Donda was opened just this past August, and its future remains in question. Without accreditation, it is unclear whether colleges will accept degrees from the school.
The school recruited top basketball talent from across the nation’s high schools, and houses the students in luxury apartment buildings with chaperones.
But those recruits had some of their prospects dashed last month as a result of West’s behavior, after the team found itself booted from the prestigious Scholastic Play-By-Play Classics tournament.
Tournament representatives said West’s ‘words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events – a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity and mutual respect.’
The tournament expressed its remorse that West’s behavior cost his students the experience of participating in the coveted competition.
‘While we are firm in our reasoning for this decision, it does not diminish our heartache and regret for Donda’s hardworking athletes who will lose out the most as a result of Kanye’s actions,’ the school added.
‘Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr. West at our events.’
Also last month, Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown – who was sponsored by Donda Sport and previously paid visits to the school – dropped his affiliation with West.
Students at West’s Donda Academy wear black Balenciaga uniforms designed by West himself. Above, Celtics basketball player Jaylen Brown pays a visit to the school
The school enrolls about 100 students and 16 teachers, with a number of students being the children of celebrities
The curriculum has a strong focus on Christianity, the arts, and math and science. Students can take parkour as a physical activity, and the school has a strong high school basketball program
Academy Principal Jason Angell sent an email to parents explaining that West had decided to close the school ‘effective immediately,’ with classes being canceled as of Thursday.
‘At the discretion of our founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately, he wrote.
Angell noted that the school’s leadership would help parents and students transition into their new school.
But an internal email from ‘Parents of Donda’ obtained by TMZ told a much different story.
‘Join us tomorrow morning in worship for the return of Donda Academy,’ the email read. With the help of our parents and community, we are back and returning with a vengeance!’
‘The children of Donda are going to change the world,’ the message added.’ Apologies for the late email! See you bright and early!’
TJ Maxx was the latest company to sever ties with West in the wake of his vile anti-Semitic outbursts (pictured on Wednesday at a bagel shop in Los Angeles before arriving at the Skechers HQ)
The rapper was seen near a parking lot before he was escorted out of Sketchers HQ earlier this week
Hours earlier on Wednesday, Academy Principal Jason Angell sent an email to parents explaining that West had decided to close the school ‘effective immediately,’ with classes being cancelled as of Thursday
Angell noted that the school’s leadership would help parents and students transition into their new school
But an internal email from ‘Parents of Donda’ obtained by TMZ told a much different story
It is unclear whether the school itself is reopening in an official capacity, or whether parents and staff are taking it upon themselves to continue educating their children
It is unclear whether the school itself is reopening in an official capacity, or whether parents and staff are taking it upon themselves to continue educating their children.
The exclusive pre-K through 12 school – named after West’s mother, Donda – is located in a secret location in the Simi Valley just north of Los Angeles, and charges $15,000 per student. About half the student body receives financial aid and scholarships, according to The Post.
The school enrolls about 100 students and employees 16 teachers. Parents sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep the school’s location secret and to say nothing about it.
There are reportedly a number of celebrities’ children in attendance – including R&B singer Keyshia Cole’s son Daniel – and the school is well known for its high-powered basketball team. Rising star Robert Dillingham, 17, plays for the school, and NBA players like Brown have made appearances at the school.
Students wear all black Balenciaga uniforms and Yeezy shoes designed by West himself.