The NBA remains suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, but New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson still finds himself under fire.
Earlier this month, Williamson's former agent–Gina Ford of Prime Sports Marketing–filed court documents alleging Zion received “impermissible benefits” to play at Duke University. Ford stipulated Williamson should have to answer a series of questions to verify the claim.
Williamson's attorneys are attempting to block those questions, per the AP:
Attorneys for NBA rookie Zion Williamson seek to block his former marketing agent’s effort to have the ex-Duke star answer questions about whether he received improper benefits before playing for the Blue Devils.
In a Florida court filing last week, Williamson’s attorneys say those questions are “nothing more than a fishing expedition aimed at tarnishing Williamson’s reputation” and designed to “maximize potential embarrassment and media coverage in an attempt to improperly gain settlement leverage.”
“Plaintiffs’ irrelevant and invasive requests are designed to harass and not calculated to lead to discovery of relevant evidence,” Friday’s filing states.
Zion Williamson has had an extensive back-and-forth with Prime Sports Marketing.
The No. 1 overall pick signed with Prime Sports after leaving Duke, only to sue for the termination of his contract. Williamson promptly signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), prompting a countersuit from Prime Sports on the grounds of wrongful termination.
Lawyer Michael Avenatti was among the first to suggest Zion was being paid by Nike to play at Duke, though the University cleared Zion after a five-month internal investigation.
Naturally, Ford's allegations of similar wrongdoing piqued the interest of the basketball world. But Williamson's lawyers are suggesting these allegations are merely combative and have no basis in fact.
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