Gina Ford, a former marketing agent of NBA rookie, Zion Williamson, has filed legal documents alleging Zion and his family received favors from several sources, including Nike and Adidas, during his one year tenure at Duke University.
In Ford’s filing, she is alleging Zion’s mother, Sharonda Sampson, and his stepfather; Lee Anderson received economic gifts from individuals on behalf of Nike for Zion’s commitment to play for Duke. It also states that Sampson and Lee received contributions from a person acting on behalf of Adidas to influence Williamson to attend a college that endorsed Adidas’ shoes.
Elsewhere, it also makes claims that between January 1, 2014, and April 14, 2019, before Zion enrolled at Duke, a person acting on his behalf accepted benefits from an NCAA-certified agent, which violates the NCAA legislation.
However, in June 2019, Zion began legal proceedings to have his five-year contract with Gina Ford and her company Prime Sports terminated.
Zion’s attorneys are arguing that the contract violated North Carolina’s Uniform Athlete Agents Act because Prime Sports is not a certified entity by the NBA Players Association nor a registered athlete agent in North Carolina or Florida.
According to ESPN, Ford seeking $100 million in damages from breach of contract, fraud, misappropriation, and she demands that Zion admit that he knew his mother and stepfather received illegal benefits for Williamson to attend Duke and wore Adidas shoes.
