Jury says New York Times must pay ex-Alabama basketball player millions

The verdict follows a lawsuit in which Spears claimed a Times story incorrectly linked him to a shooting. Beckley‑based attorney Stephen P. New is named in coverage as the lawyer who secured the victory. The decision concluded a trial that examined the story’s accuracy. The judgment received immediate coverage from multiple outlets. Yahoo, WVVA, WBMA and the Pittsburgh Post‑Gazette each reported the $9.25 million award and highlighted New’s role.

CBS Sports, AP News, KXAN Austin, The Guardian and ESPN also ran stories noting that the jury ruled the Times had defamed Spears with an incorrect shooting narrative. The breadth of reporting underscores the story’s relevance to both media and sports audiences. The case touches on broader issues of media liability and athlete reputation. Spears, a former Bishop Canevin high‑school star who later played for the University of Alabama, argued that the Times’ article misrepresented his involvement in a criminal incident, harming his personal and professional standing. Under U.S. defamation law, a plaintiff must show a false statement caused reputational damage; the jury’s finding satisfied that standard. The verdict arrives amid heightened scrutiny of sports reporting.

Future steps may include appeals or settlement negotiations over the $9.25 million judgment. Coverage does not yet indicate whether The New York Times will seek to overturn the verdict or adjust its editorial policies. Observers will watch for any statements from the newspaper, potential changes to its reporting guidelines, and whether similar defamation claims arise from other athletes. The outcome could influence how media outlets verify sources before publishing allegations involving high‑profile sports figures.