Zion's ex-manager claims parents' housing suggests improper benefits from Duke

The attorneys for Zion Williamson's ex-marketing manager are requesting a federal judge in North Carolina to permit them to conduct discovery into Williamson's parents' living arrangements before and during his time at Duke, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

If the request is allowed, Williamson's parents would be required to answer questions under oath regarding their homes and financial history.

Prime Sports Marketing president Gina Ford's legal representation filed a motion Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina amid an ongoing lawsuit against the New Orleans Pelicans star.

In the motion, Ford's attorneys cited property records that claim, prior to attending Duke, Williamson and his family lived in a South Carolina home that listed a monthly rent payment of $895 and is now valued at roughly $153,000, according to Daniel Wallach of The Athletic.

However, after Williamson enrolled at Duke and moved to North Carolina, he and his family supposedly lived in a home that was valued at roughly $950,000. Ford's attorneys also claim that the property is owned by Thomas Morris, an alumnus of Duke.

Ford's attorneys included photos comparing the two homes.

In a motion last month, Ford's lawyers asked Williamson to admit under oath if he or his parents accepted "money, benefits, favors, or other things of value" in order for him to sign with Duke. However, an appeals court in Florida granted Williamson a temporary stay in the proceedings Thursday.

Williamson sued Ford and Prime Time Sports in June 2019 to break his marketing contract with the company. His attorneys have argued the agreement wasn't valid due to Ford not being registered in North Carolina and the contract not containing a warning required by the state's Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAAA), which aims to protect amateur athletes.

However, Ford's attorneys argue that Williamson did not fall under the protection of the UAAA because he wasn't an eligible student-athlete according to NCAA rules. They are suing Williamson, his current representation at Creative Artists Agency, and two of the company's employees for $100 million.

Williamson's attorney, Jeffrey S. Klein, strongly refuted the claims made by Ford's lawyers.

"As Duke University stated in 2019, they and the NCAA both investigated and confirmed Mr. Williamson's student-athlete eligibility," Klein told Schlabach in a statement. "The defendants' baseless allegations are a continuation of the predatory acts the agent statute was designed to protect against. Mr. Williamson looks forward to his day in court in North Carolina and, until then, remains focused on the NBA season and proudly representing his family, fans, and the city of New Orleans."