Six Former Florida State Basketball Players File Lawsuit Against Coach Leonard Hamilton for Unpaid NIL Promises

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Six Former Florida State Basketball Players File Lawsuit Against Coach Leonard Hamilton for Unpaid NIL Promises

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Six Former Florida State Basketball Players File Lawsuit Against Coach Leonard Hamilton for Unpaid NIL Promises

Credited from: USATODAY

Six former Florida State University (FSU) basketball players have initiated legal action against head coach Leonard Hamilton, claiming he failed to deliver on promised name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation amounting to $250,000 each. The lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, represents players Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley (source: USA Today).

The 20-page complaint alleges that Hamilton reneged on a total promised sum of $1.5 million in NIL payments, which the players claimed were supposed to come from his "business partners" (source: The Guardian). Frustrated by the lack of payment, the players walked out of practice last season and considered skipping a game against Duke in February. They ultimately participated after Hamilton assured them that the funds would be deposited soon, but the suit claims they were never paid (source: Reuters).

None of the plaintiffs are currently with the team, as Green and Nickelberry finished their college eligibility while the rest transferred to other institutions—Spears to UTSU, Fletcher to Xavier, De’Ante Green to USF, and Warley to Gonzaga (source: CNN).

This case is part of a growing trend of legal disputes surrounding NIL agreements in collegiate sports, following similar claims from athletes across various programs.