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In yet another indication that New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson may have received financial payments from prospective shoe companies while still an amateur, Steve Wiseman of the News & Observer is reporting that court documents have surfaced showing multiple money transfers from Adidas executives to Williamson's stepfather. Beginning with a $404 deposit on November 14, 2016, nine payments were made totaling $5,474 over a period of five months.
The revelation that Adidas had potentially funneled money into the bank accounts of Zion Williamson's family comes as part of an investigation into the shoe companies' efforts to recruit a host of prospects to one of their sponsored universities, in the civil lawsuit filed by former college star Brian Bowen.
Bowen was a former five-star recruit who lost his eligibility due to receiving financial support from Adidas that the FBI eventually uncovered in their college basketball probe and has subsequently sued the company for a host of charges, including money laundering, bribery, and fraud by denying him a college career.
To prove that the payments Bowen received were a regular practice for Adidas, the athlete's lawyers submitted questions to the company seeking details of the financial incentives given to other college basketball recruits. Compelled by the court to answer the inquiries from Bowen's representatives, the documents show the details of payments given to former N.C. State player Dennis Smith, Zion Williamson, and former Kansas players Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa.
This is not the first time that it has been suggested that Williamson received improper financial incentives during the time he was still an amateur. As part of another court case filed by Zion against his former marketing agent Gina Ford, her representatives made the allegation that the center was given financial payments to attend Duke. Furthermore, attorney Michael Avenatti has claimed that Nike arranged financial support for Williamson and his family to induce him towards Duke, which the shoe company sponsors.
Zion Williamson may have left the NCAA and is now starring in the NBA with the Pelicans, but the aftereffects of his college career continue to make headlines.
