Looks like Zion Williamson got way more than just a free education to play for Duke. We all know that student athletes are dramatically underpaid to start with, but the rules and the rules, and if you get caught you’ll have to suffer the consequences. Zion’s only 19 right now and already involved in scandal, so who else is excited to hear about this for the rest of his career?
BREAKING: Gina Ford ramps up claim that Zion Williamson received money to attend Duke and was “permanently ineligible” to be a student-athlete; in new court filing, she opposes granting judgment to Zion, and says discovery is needed from Duke and Coach K on ‘pay-to-play’ issue. pic.twitter.com/x04yY3BvHm
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) June 10, 2020
This whole thing started when the former agent of New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson filed a $100 million (!!!) lawsuit after being fired by his family. The lawsuit alleged that Zion and his family took all sorts of money and gifts to attend a Nike school specifically Duke, but there was no evidence at the time. Fast forward a bid, and the floodgates have opened. The gifts we know about right now include: THREE luxury cars (a Yukon, an Escalade, and a Mercedes), housing in a $950,000 mansion owned by a supposed Duke alum (y’know, like all normal student athletes), and even just straight cash in his pocket. If I were in Zion’s position as a high schooler, I wouldn’t not take the money, but you’d have to think they had a better way to hide all of this, right?
Gina Ford says that “information in public records” about Zion Williamson and/or his parents “receiving monies, benefits and/or other prohibited benefits” should be considered by the NC federal court in negating his status as a “student-athlete” under the UAAA. pic.twitter.com/9xSNpfwdxu
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) June 10, 2020
All of this has put Zion’s eligibility as a student-athlete during his time at Duke into question. We doubt this will impact Zion’s NBA eligibility too much, but if he were still at Duke when all of this info came out it would be the biggest bombshell scandal in ages. Whatever ends up happening, we just hope it ends with college ball players being compensated properly. These dudes bring in millions of dollars in revenue just to get a free calculus class and some media coverage, the least the schools could do is split some of the profits. Make these kids rich!
