Chad Baker-Mazara’s time at USC ended so suddenly that it left plenty of people wondering what happened behind the scenes. A lawsuit filed Monday now points to a toxic final stretch and puts coach Eric Musselman squarely in the middle of it.
According to the California Post’s Edward Lewis, Baker-Mazara is accusing Musselman of unleashing a “racially-charged” rant after USC’s Feb. 28 loss to Nebraska. The 26-year-old says the confrontation happened in the locker room, and that he was dismissed from the program the next day.
The lawsuit says Musselman told him, “You shut the f-k up! You are one of the worst teammates anyone can ever have!”
When Baker-Mazara asked if he should leave, the suit claims Musselman answered, “Yes, leave! Go back to the f-king Dominican Republic!
Nobody wants you here! F-k you!”
Baker-Mazara alleges the comments were aimed at his “national origin and Dominican heritage” and made in front of his teammates. The filing describes the incident as “unprovoked, vicious, and discriminatory.”
He is also accusing USC of skipping an NIL payment and then trying to end the agreement by invoking a “morals clause.”
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, lists claims for “breach of contract, conversion and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage,” according to the California Post. Baker-Mazara says his NBA Draft stock was damaged by the dismissal. He went undrafted and is now on the roster of a team in Puerto Rico’s top basketball league.
Musselman, hired by USC in 2024 after leading Arkansas to two Elite Eight appearances in five seasons, has not had an NCAA Tournament berth in either of his first two years with the Trojans.
Baker-Mazara’s path to this point has been anything but ordinary. He played six college seasons at five different schools, including time at the junior college level after starting at Duquesne and San Diego State.
At Auburn, he became one of the sport’s most recognizable edge-case veterans, a player who could swing a game and occasionally cross the line. He was ejected from Auburn’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale in 2024 and picked up another ejection against Alabama in 2025, but he also played a major role in the Tigers’ run to the Final Four under Bruce Pearl.
Before his dismissal at USC, Baker-Mazara was putting up 18.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on an injury-riddled team.
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