The Zion Williamson trial explained: What to know about Duke's allegations of illegal benefits

Last week, lawyers representing former Zion Williamson agent Gina Ford filed a case with the Miami-Dade court, asking him to answer several questions that could have serious consequences regarding his eligibility for Duke in 2018. 19.

This document asks Williamson to confirm or refuse several examinations which, if so, would admit that he knew that his family had received payments and / or other benefits before and during his attendance at the hospital. Duke University. The document, which alleges that Duke, Nike and Adidas offered such payments and benefits, is part of an ongoing legal battle of $ 100 million between Williamson and Ford, on the basis of a terminated contract between the two.

It is a complicated legal battle, involving a large amount of knowledge and various obstacles and potential gaps. With that, here's all you need to know about the combinations between Williamson and Ford:

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Lawsuits against Zion Williamson and Gina Ford

Williamson's lawsuit against Ford

Shortly after Williamson submitted the project on April 15, 2019, he signed a five-year contract with Ford, president of Miami-based Prime Sports Marketing, to represent him and manage his sponsorship agreements.

However, Williamson broke the contract and signed with the Creative Artists Agency on May 30 of the same year. Ford then contacted the CAA, requesting mediation, or threatening to sue. Williamson responded by suing Prime Sports on June 13 for a clear separation from the agency. He appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, arguing that the contract he had signed was void because Prime Sports did not meet the guidelines of the North Carolina Uniform Athletes Agent Act (UAAA). . The UAAA protects athletes from unscrupulous agents.

For Dana O & # 39; Neil d & # 39; AthleticFord, who claims that Usain Bolt is his most notable customer, has built his business on several occasions. This includes an iteration of August 2018 called MAG Sports & Entertainment, in which he teamed up with former NFL player Akin Ayodele and Munish Sood, a former financial advisor who was there. one of 10 men arrested by the FBI in September. 2017 as part of an investigation into corruption in basketball at a federal university. Twenty-five days after forming MAG, Sood pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribes; pay bribes to a federal agent; and electronic fraud conspiracy. MAG has been dissolved "without commercial transactions".

NOLA.com He also reported that Williamson's lawyers, in an August file, described Ford as "predator" in their search for Williamson. They alleged that she had "considerably exaggerated" her previous work with athletes, including Bolt, for whom Ford was only a member of his representation team. The submissions also state that Ford has repeatedly texted Williamson's family members and visited Duke twice to approach his family, "despite requests to refrain from doing so".

For Adrian Wojnarowski, who had initially denounced the trial of Williamson, the Prime Sports contract also does not meet several criteria of the UAAA:

• NBA Players Association certified
• Be a registered athlete agency in North Carolina or Florida
• Provide a visible notice, in bold and capital letters indicating that Williamson will lose his eligibility as a fan when signing the contract

Ford's lawsuit against Williamson

Ford sued Williamson on June 19, the day before Williamson was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, stating that he had broken his contract with Prime Sports when 39; he had signed with the CAA; she claimed damages in excess of $ 100 million. The language of your lawsuit and the location where it was filed are also factors to watch. Ford argued that the contract between Prime Sports and Williamson was not canceled by the UAAA, since Williamson had already declared himself for the project without intending to return to college.

At that time, the NCAA had adopted more flexible rules on the relationship of players with agents. Under NCAA rules, players can testify for the draft and team up with NBPA and NCAA certified agents while determining whether or not to enter the NBA. They can keep their eligibility as long as they cut the relationship with their agent when they return to college.

By NOLA.comWilliamson's lawyers have argued that Ford had filed a lawsuit in Florida to bypass its original North Carolina lawsuit, "where the matter clearly belongs". Williamson grew up in North Carolina, played college basketball at one of his top universities, and was also approached by Prime Sports.

On Friday, Ford's legal team also filed another document in federal court, alleging that it had sent $ 100,000 to Williamson's stepfather; In the file, he alleged that Williamson "demanded an immediate advance from the contract" when signing his contract with Prime Sports.

According to Daniel Wallach (lawyer in sports betting and games law as well as legal analyst for The Athletic):

On September 27, 2019, Williamson's lawyers brought two actions against Prime Sports: one before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami-Dade County and the other before the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The first was to close the Prime Sport case against him; the second was to oppose Ford's motion to dismiss the original trial of Williamson.

The requests of both parties to reject the requests of the other party were rejected.

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What specifically do Ford's interrogations ask of Williamson?

The interrogations concerned the residence where his mother Sharonda Lee and stepfather Lee Anderson lived while Williamson attended Duke (including who owned it, who paid for it and how much it cost). He also asks Williamson to know that his parents have received incentives from Duke, Nike and Adidas to influence where he would play college basketball.

Here is the exact language of the interrogations filed in Miami:

• Who was the owner of the house where Sharonda Sampson and Lee Anderson (her mother and stepfather, respectively) lived while she was dating Duke?
• Fully expose all the facts that show how Sharonda Sampson and Lee Anderson… found and paid for the house they lived in in Duke's time.
• Identify the owner's name, address, telephone number, and monthly rental rate, the property in which you and your family lived during your stay at Duke University.
• Before attending Duke University, do you or anyone acting on your behalf, including, but not limited to, Sharonda Sampson, Lee Anderson, Sharonda Sampson Consulting, or any other person or intermediary) directly or indirectly (through people your name) has accepted money, perks, favors or other things of value to induce or encourage you to choose Duke University as your university of study undergraduate?
• Before attending Duke University, do you or anyone acting on your behalf, including, but not limited to, Sharonda Sampson, Lee Anderson, Sharonda Sampson Consulting, or any other person or intermediary) directly or indirectly (through people your name) has accepted money, perks, favors or other things of value to induce or encourage you to wear and / or wear shoes tennis shoes and other products?
• Before attending Duke University, do you or anyone acting on your behalf, including, but not limited to, Sharonda Sampson, Lee Anderson, Sharonda Sampson Consulting, or any other person or intermediary) directly or indirectly (through people your name) has accepted money, perks, favors or other things of value to induce or encourage you to wear and / or wear shoes tennis shoes and other products?

Wallach claimed that Williamson had no immediate legal obligation to answer questions from Ford.

Willie Gary, Ford's lead counsel in his lawsuit against Williamson, did not clearly respond to a question from The Athletic asking if his team had evidence that Williamson, or someone who asked for it , had received illegal benefits.

"We have ideas, opinions and a few leads of our own," said Gary at the Athletic. "We are looking for information to support our cause. This is what we want to know."

Gary confirmed that some of the information he had mentioned came from public hearings, including lawyer Michael Avenatti, who in August alleged that two men in charge of the Basketball League for the elite youth of Nike quarreled with a Nike executive who paid Zion Williamson. $ 35,000 who was still in high school. Avenatti was later found guilty of attempting to extort Nike.

A spokesperson for Jeffrey Klein, Williamson's lawyer, underlined a Duke statement in September 2019 when contacted by The Athletic:

"As soon as Duke learned of allegations that could have affected Zion Williamson's eligibility, we conducted a thorough and objective investigation by people outside the athletics department," wrote the spokesperson for Duke Michael Schoenfeld. "We have found no evidence to support any allegation. Zion thrived as a student and athlete at Duke, and has always conducted himself with integrity and determination. "

Ford, when contacted by The Athletic and asked if she was involved in providing illegal benefits to Williamson, said: "No, no, no. It certainly is not me 100%. "

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If Zion Williamson received inadmissible benefits, why would that affect his trial?

This is how Ford’s interrogations come into play: if Ford can prove that Williamson received payments and / or benefits before or during his stay with Duke, he would no longer be protected by the UAAA, the whole basis of Williamson's trial against Prime Sports. , which makes it much easier for Ford to win its counter costume.

"No matter when the contract is signed. If you are no longer a student-athlete, the NCAA rules no longer apply," Ford attorney Athletic Larry Strauss said. . "The nuance is that it doesn't just apply to him. Any third party who has acted as an agent, their parents or managers, all of their actions may also affect eligibility. "

The interrogations presented in Miami serve as precursors to a testimony in the Prime Sport trial. Strauss said his team hoped to begin remarks in late May or early June, according to The Athletic. Gary said his team "won't leave a stone unturned" when trying to find pieces relevant to Williamson's recruitment with Duke. This includes his parents and, potentially, Duke's trainer Mike Krzyzewski.

Who is Cedriquze Johnson?

Former basketball player Louisiana-Monroe Cedriquze Johnson was the initial mediator between Williamson and Ford; would have submitted them. Johnson, who claims to have known Williamson since he was a high school student, also filed a lawsuit against Ford in March, alleging that he had been promised a 5% reduction for his work.

Johnson's lawsuit alleges that Ford reunited with Williamson's family in January 2019, while he was still a student-student at Duke. This, said Wallach, would void any contract he signed with Prime Sports as part of the UAAA.

It should be noted that Johnson and Ford have a common interest in the latter winning his lawsuit against Williamson. If Williamson's Prime Sports contract is terminated, Johnson receives nothing. The two are scheduled for mediation later this week, according to The Athletic.