TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Six former Florida State basketball gamers sued Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton on Monday, alleging he didn’t make good on a promise to get every of them $250,000 in title, picture and likeness compensation.
The plaintiffs — Darin Inexperienced Jr., De’Ante Inexperienced, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley — filed swimsuit in Leon County circuit courtroom.
Their legal professional, Fort Lauderdale-based Darren Heitner, shared the 20-page grievance with The Related Press. Yahoo Sports activities first reported the case.
The previous gamers allege Hamilton promised them the cash from his “business partners.” The lawsuit says they walked out of a observe final season over the missed funds and meant to boycott a Feb. 17 recreation towards Duke.
They ended up taking part in — the Seminoles misplaced 76-67 — amid a assure from Hamilton that they might be paid however by no means have been, in keeping with the swimsuit.
No legal professional for Hamilton was listed within the lawsuit. FSU hosts Syracuse on Saturday.
The grievance consists of a number of text-message exchanges between gamers and a few between gamers and Hamilton.
FSU completed 17-16 final season, together with 10-10 within the Atlantic Coast Convention. The 76-year-old Hamilton is within the last yr of his contract. The Seminoles are 9-4, together with 0-2 in league play.
Not one of the plaintiffs within the lawsuit remained with the crew. Inexperienced and Nickelberry exhausted their school eligibility final spring, and the 4 others transferred. Spears is now at UTSA, Fletcher is at Xavier, De’Ante Inexperienced is at USF and Warley is at Gonzaga.
The lawsuit is the newest in a rising variety of NIL authorized battles.
Matthew Sluka, a beginning quarterback for the UNLV soccer crew, left this system after three video games in September as a result of he was by no means paid a $100,000 NIL deal.
Former Florida quarterback signee Jaden Rashada, now taking part in at Georgia, sued Gators coach Billy Napier final yr over an unpaid $13 million NIL deal.
And a number of other Tulsa gamers declare they have been by no means paid 1000’s in NIL commitments made by former coach Kevin Wilson.
