Chad Baker-Mazara’s USC tenure ended so suddenly that it left plenty of questions behind. A lawsuit filed Monday is now putting the spotlight on what he says happened inside the Trojans’ locker room after a February loss.
Baker-Mazara is suing USC coach Eric Musselman in Los Angeles, alleging he was cut loose without explanation after what the complaint calls a “racially-charged” rant. According to the lawsuit, the exchange came after USC’s Feb. 28 loss to Nebraska, when Musselman allegedly barked, “You shut the f-k up!
You are one of the worst teammates anyone can ever have!” Baker-Mazara says that when he asked whether he should leave, Musselman fired back, “Yes, leave!
Go back to the f-king Dominican Republic! Nobody wants you here!
F-k you!”
The complaint says Baker-Mazara was dismissed the next day. It also claims USC withheld an NIL payment and then tried to end the agreement by pointing to a “morals clause.”
The lawsuit argues, “Coach Musselman’s outburst was a direct attack on Baker-Mazara’s national origin and Dominican heritage, made from a position of authority and power by the Head Coach of the team, in front of all of Baker-Mazara’s teammates,” and adds, “The tirade was unprovoked, vicious, and discriminatory.”
Baker-Mazara is suing for “breach of contract, conversion and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage,” according to the California Post. He says the dismissal hurt his NBA Draft stock. He went undrafted and is now on the roster of a team in Puerto Rico’s top basketball league.
Musselman arrived at USC in 2024 after leading Arkansas to the Elite Eight twice in five seasons. USC missed the NCAA Tournament in both of his first two years.
Baker-Mazara’s own path has been anything but ordinary. He spent six years in college across five schools, including a junior college stop after starting at Duquesne and San Diego State.
At Auburn, he became one of the sport’s most recognizable older players, a volatile but important piece of Bruce Pearl’s team. He was ejected in the Tigers’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale in 2024 and picked up another ejection against Alabama in 2025, but he also helped Auburn reach the Final Four.
At USC, he was averaging 18.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on an injury-riddled team before the abrupt end to his season.
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