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ZION WILLIAMSON Received Improper Benefits To Play At Duke

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USC75Grad

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"The former marketing agent for New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion WIlliamson claims that Williamson took improper benefits from shoe companies to attend Duke University and play basketball there.Prime Sports Marketing president Gina Ford, who is WIlliamson's former marketing agent, in a lawsuit between the company and Williamson has asked the basketball phenom to admit he, his mother and stepfather received "money, benefits, favors or others things of value" to attend Duke.Williamson's mother, Sharonda Sampson, and his stepfather, Lee Anderson, are named in the request that has 11 bullet points and published by Daniel Wallach, the legal analyst for The Athletic."

https://www.newsweek.com/zion-willi...-received-improper-benefits-play-duke-1503017
 
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Tough accusations. Not sure how he can be forced to answer them when it doesn't pertain to the lawsuit. Sounds like his former agent is trying to embarrass him into settling.
 
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johnnyplaid said:
Tough accusations. Not sure how he can be forced to answer them when it doesn't pertain to the lawsuit. Sounds like his former agent is trying to embarrass him into settling.
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Settle or not, this will be fun to watch and if they actually settle, it will look bad for Duke, with a cloud of accusations...

Also, could open the door to see what other schools may have tried to pay for his services...
 
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Well if this is not the most UNshocking news to come out about sports since... The last big named athlete who was accused of this! EVERY PLAYER takes benefits. Every single one who is good enough to get extra benefits is offered them and accepts them. This is why the amateurism of college athletes and the NCAA as a whole is a total joke. Every school, including us, gives improper benefits and has been doing it for decades. It is not restricted to or even more common in basketball. They had just gotten more brazen with it by involving shoe companies directly in the recruiting of highscchool kids and they got caught by the Feds so it is the most public example right now.
 
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Horseshoe 04 said:
Always remember the Blue Schools have full immunity........
that said

YAWN
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The NCAA will not ever investigate this. In fact, the NCAA will do everything in its power to bury this story as quickly as possible.

Some independent investigator should be able to figure out a way to catch one of these elite schools that benefits from this cheating, and if they are caught they should be banned from the sport for 10 years. No more Louisvilles.
 
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Of course he did. Kansas offered $275k. Have no idea what Clemons offered. But it's a virtual certainty he didn't go to Duke for free! The NCAA is about to hammer, Kansas, Louisville and Arizona. For some reason UNC, Duke and Kentucky always skate!
 
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ansoncock said:
The NCAA will not ever investigate this. In fact, the NCAA will do everything in its power to bury this story as quickly as possible.

Some independent investigator should be able to figure out a way to catch one of these elite schools that benefits from this cheating, and if they are caught they should be banned from the sport for 10 years. No more Louisvilles.
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wish that were true, but that is currently in another dimension or a galaxy far far away
 
lawcalcock said:
Of course he did. Kansas offered $275k. Have no idea what Clemons offered. But it's a virtual certainty he didn't go to Duke for free! The NCAA is about to hammer, Kansas, Louisville and Arizona. For some reason UNC, Duke and Kentucky always skate!
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Kansas is the other (or 4th ) Blue School, I wouldn't be so sure, besides they bought the rules of basket ball and have them on display, and there's nothing in those rules about $$$.

It does sicken me, but I feel like I have been watching this for nearly 40 years
 
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His stepdad always seemed like a nice guy,but it was always rumored that he was looking to cash in on Zion dating back to the AAU days.He was a basketball trainer for hire and he wouldn't hesitate to ask for a "loan" from one of the dads if he thought he had deep pockets.
 
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Gamecock Lifer said:
Well if this is not the most UNshocking news to come out about sports since... The last big named athlete who was accused of this! EVERY PLAYER takes benefits. Every single one who is good enough to get extra benefits is offered them and accepts them. This is why the amateurism of college athletes and the NCAA as a whole is a total joke. Every school, including us, gives improper benefits and has been doing it for decades. It is not restricted to or even more common in basketball. They had just gotten more brazen with it by involving shoe companies directly in the recruiting of highscchool kids and they got caught by the Feds so it is the most public example right now.
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It also bolsters the argument that the best teams can arrange for payments for the services of the best players. That doesn't mean that athletes only go where the money is the best. It just means that the top schools bid for players. The NCAA is helpless in the face of that kind of corruption.
 
Gamecock Lifer said:
Well if this is not the most UNshocking news to come out about sports since... The last big named athlete who was accused of this! EVERY PLAYER takes benefits. Every single one who is good enough to get extra benefits is offered them and accepts them. This is why the amateurism of college athletes and the NCAA as a whole is a total joke. Every school, including us, gives improper benefits and has been doing it for decades. It is not restricted to or even more common in basketball. They had just gotten more brazen with it by involving shoe companies directly in the recruiting of highscchool kids and they got caught by the Feds so it is the most public example right now.
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If we are doing it, whoever is in charge of it should be fired!!!
 
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I get that pretty much every school cheats. But there is no way we can compete with Duke when they have the history and the backing by shoe companies helping out, and the NCAA unwilling to help. Feel bad for a guy like Frank Martin. Keep in mind Clemson is a Nike school as well. Level the playing field...we came off a Final Four...could we have had a better shot at landing Zion Williamson? It wouldn’t have hurt, I know that. I still remember the article about Under Armour and the person it hurts the most, in the entire world of sports, is Frank Martin. How much of this hurt his recruiting efforts? I think it played a part for sure.

NCAA eventually has to grow a pair and hit Duke, Kansas, etc...it at what point should we as fans say screw it?
 
As far as any fallout for the school is concerned, the question will be whether payments can be tied directly to the school or to one of its representatives or boosters. That's the field that the NCAA plows. That limitation wouldn't keep a player from being declared ineligible (this one is moot since he's already in the NBA) but could affect whether or not a school gets sanctions. If anyone associated with the school brokered these payments of funneled them to a player, or if it could be proven that someone at Duke was aware of the payments, that would bring seismic repercussions.
 
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Carolina4 said:
I get that pretty much every school cheats. But there is no way we can compete with Duke when they have the history and the backing by shoe companies helping out, and the NCAA unwilling to help. Feel bad for a guy like Frank Martin. Keep in mind Clemson is a Nike school as well. Level the playing field...we came off a Final Four...could we have had a better shot at landing Zion Williamson? It wouldn’t have hurt, I know that. I still remember the article about Under Armour and the person it hurts the most, in the entire world of sports, is Frank Martin. How much of this hurt his recruiting efforts? I think it played a part for sure.

NCAA eventually has to grow a pair and hit Duke, Kansas, etc...it at what point should we as fans say screw it?
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What is hurting Frank Martin is Frank Martin. His sideline antics matched with his lack of overall success (meaning getting to the tournament) has hurt him. 1 out of 8 years is all any school who consistently gets to the tournament has to say to get a kid not to come here... "Hey Johnny, how do you feel about going to a school that you probably aren't going to make it the dance? You know... you could come to XYZ University and have a chance to make a name for yourself as well as make the dance." If I was one of those kids, I know what I would be doing...

Frank missed his window after the Final Four. Having no success after that run paired with low ranked recruiting classes has found us in the same position we were in prior to the FF run...
 
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He has 30 days to answer under oath if he or his family received benefits from Duke.
 
sclawman77 said:
He has 30 days to answer under oath if he or his family received benefits from Duke.
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All he has to do is not respond at all. They have no records of transaction. Had they kept records they would have been subject to prosecutions. Maybe Zion did bilk them out of a half million. That is the risk of these surreptitious arrangements.
 
JDishnell said:
At this point it's just a bitter former business partner making an accusation.
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Based on all the wiretap info and testimony, the AAU coaching step dad was looking for a payout, we have talked at length how dirty AAU is before, and Lee Anderson was tied in and knew the game, and receiving interest, seems like a accusation that already has a lot of evidence behind it.

Im not sure why Zion should deny it especially about the step father, and get in legal trouble, maybe the details of who did what for Duke are not out there, but the step dad had made his requests, and schools/shoe companies were jumping, that seems to be proven.

I would be surprised if denies his step father took anything, maybe we will get I did not take anything but dont know what he was doing, LOL
 
world famous 3rd base hecklers said:
Settle or not, this will be fun to watch and if they actually settle, it will look bad for Duke, with a cloud of accusations...

Also, could open the door to see what other schools may have tried to pay for his services...
Click to expand...

https://www.axios.com/zion-williams...eal-e58941b4-eb27-47e7-a073-e22ca9a87adc.html

So, if Nike did pay or did not pay Zion to play at Duke, they obviously did ink a $75 million contract with Zion the pro.

Did they front Zion cash as a amateur? Wonder what kind of car he was driving as a college student?
 
lawcalcock said:
All he has to do is not respond at all. They have no records of transaction. Had they kept records they would have been subject to prosecutions. Maybe Zion did bilk them out of a half million. That is the risk of these surreptitious arrangements.
Click to expand...

I would think Duke has an ethical responsibility to either confirm, or deny these allegations.

After all, they are an ACC school, and have model of modern basketball integrity to maintain.
 
Cocky4SC said:
What is hurting Frank Martin is Frank Martin. His sideline antics matched with his lack of overall success (meaning getting to the tournament) has hurt him. 1 out of 8 years is all any school who consistently gets to the tournament has to say to get a kid not to come here... "Hey Johnny, how do you feel about going to a school that you probably aren't going to make it the dance? You know... you could come to XYZ University and have a chance to make a name for yourself as well as make the dance." If I was one of those kids, I know what I would be doing...

Frank missed his window after the Final Four. Having no success after that run paired with low ranked recruiting classes has found us in the same position we were in prior to the FF run...
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An Frank can (and should) turn that argument around. "Hey we made the tournament 1 time since I've been here. We made the Final Four. With the right talent, we can get it done. You're the right talent, kid. You want to be another face in the crowd at (Kansas,Duke, Kentucky, UNC) or do you want to be a superstar at SC?
 
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ansoncock said:
I would think Duke has an ethical responsibility to either confirm, or deny these allegations.

After all, they are an ACC school, and have model of modern basketball integrity to maintain.
Click to expand...

Duke is closed right now, please leave a message at the help desk and they will get right back to................ DA DA DA......... the voice mail box is full and not able to receive messages at this time, thank you.

At best and Highly doubt they will even put a suit in front of us to say No Comment, and I am sure Coach K (the olympic coach), has nothing to add either, ever.
 
Cocky4SC said:
What is hurting Frank Martin is Frank Martin. His sideline antics matched with his lack of overall success (meaning getting to the tournament) has hurt him. 1 out of 8 years is all any school who consistently gets to the tournament has to say to get a kid not to come here... "Hey Johnny, how do you feel about going to a school that you probably aren't going to make it the dance? You know... you could come to XYZ University and have a chance to make a name for yourself as well as make the dance." If I was one of those kids, I know what I would be doing...

Frank missed his window after the Final Four. Having no success after that run paired with low ranked recruiting classes has found us in the same position we were in prior to the FF run...
Click to expand...

Normally I would agree, but the talent level of the Gamecocks, for whatever reason, has been rising over the past few years. I am not recommending that we get corrupt like the cheating schools, but were we to successfully recruit a couple of Thornwell, Dozier level players in 2021 (four star level players), we could become really good quickly. We have several of these players in state who will be seniors in high school this year. They could join the Gamecocks, and their talent would be showcased by a competent team and coach!

There is always reason for hope.
 
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paladin181 said:
An Frank can (and should) turn that argument around. "Hey we made the tournament 1 time since I've been here. We made the Final Four. With the right talent, we can get it done. You're the right talent, kid. You want to be another face in the crowd at (Kansas,Duke, Kentucky, UNC) or do you want to be a superstar at SC?
Click to expand...

And, Coach Frank would be telling the truth!
 
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Harvard Gamecock said:
A former agent who was sued to be released from their contract with Williamson, is now accusing the former client of malfeasance. I've never heard of such.

Unless there is a money trail that can be proved, there is nothing else to see here.
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Agree. People want it to be true b/c it's Duke and Coach K, but it just looks like an attempt at retribution to me.
 
ansoncock said:
Normally I would agree, but the talent level of the Gamecocks, for whatever reason, has been rising over the past few years. I am not recommending that we get corrupt like the cheating schools, but were we to successfully recruit a couple of Thornwell, Dozier level players in 2021 (four star level players), we could become really good quickly. We have several of these players in state who will be seniors in high school this year. They could join the Gamecocks, and their talent would be showcased by a competent team and coach!

There is always reason for hope.
Click to expand...


The only problem is you aren't going to get it done with the talent that he has coming in. Not knocking the kids themselves, just stating facts... according to rankings, they are in the higher 300's nationally. IMHO, that kind of talent isn't going to get you back to the place we would like to be... the guys are probably better fit playing at a Furman, ETSU, or mid-majors. Frank has been missing out on every big name guy from the state since he got here since Thornwell. You've got to win your own state, especially if you aren't losing them to the Blue Bloods...
 
ansoncock said:
I would think Duke has an ethical responsibility to either confirm, or deny these allegations.

After all, they are an ACC school, and have model of modern basketball integrity to maintain.
Click to expand...

I agree but how would Duke know if this was a deal between the dad and the shoe company?
 
sclawman77 said:
He has 30 days to answer under oath if he or his family received benefits from Duke.
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This is customary In legal discovery. The allegations will be denied at least at first. Will get interesting if he is called for a deposition and has to testify under oath. 19 year olds should not have to be put through this just because a hanger-on wants a piece of the pie.
 
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