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Marreese Speights, a former NBA player who won a title with the Golden State Warriors and a national championship with the Florida Gators, mocked basketball players trying to return to school on Wednesday.
Speights, 38, jokingly announced he would return to the Gators nearly 20 years after leaving school to pursue a professional career. He played two years in Florida before declaring for the NBA in 2008.
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Golden State Warriors center Marreese Speights reacts after being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on March 9, 2016. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 115-94. (Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports)
“After 18 seasons, I will return to Florida with two years left to play,” he wrote on X with a photo of himself in a Gators uniform. “Man, after having a great conversation with @CoachToddGolden, I’m excited to come back and have the opportunity to play for the Florida Gators again.
“After a long career in the NBA, with the new rules in place, I will return to the court for the next two years.”
Speights was clearly making fun of former college basketball players who were trying to return to school after being on G League rosters.
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Orlando Magic forward Marreese Speights reacts during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, on February 8, 2018. (Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports)
LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade was reportedly in the process of signing former G League player and St. John’s Red Storm star RJ Luis. The move is expected to accompany a petition to the NCAA to restore Luis’s eligibility. Luis played three seasons in college before signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and then being traded to the Boston Celtics.
He never played in the NBA or the G League.
The NCAA previously granted eligibility to international students who have played professionally abroad. Last season, however, the NCAA denied former G League player Charles Bediako’s attempt to resume his college career at Alabama.
St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. and guard Kadary Richmond sit on the bench during the second half of an NCAA Tournament second-round game against Arkansas at Amica Mutual Pavilion on March 22, 2025. (Images by Brian Fluharty-Imagn)
Bediako filed a lawsuit to regain his eligibility and was able to play five games for the Crimson Tide while a temporary restraining order was in effect. However, he was banned from finishing the season when a judge denied his request for injunctive relief.
Nigerian center James Nnaji, selected in the NBA draft, received four years of NCAA eligibility last year. He never appeared in an NBA game as his draft rights were traded. He played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish ACB League. They mutually separated last August.
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“As schools increasingly recruit individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenditures statute to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not disadvantaged compared to their international counterparts,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement at the time. “The rules have long allowed schools to enroll and interpret individuals with no prior college experience mid-year.”
