Donald Tucker Civic Center, home of the Florida State basketball team Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Aiden James
TALLAHASSEE, FL. — On Monday, six former Florida State basketball players filed a lawsuit against Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles coach, claiming he had broken a pledge to provide them with $250,000 in name, image, and likeness pay each.
The lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court by the plaintiffs, Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley. The 20-page complaint was sent to The Associated Press by their lawyer, Darren Heitner of Fort Lauderdale. The case was initially reported by Yahoo Sports.
Hamilton allegedly promised the former athletes the money from his “business partners.” According to the lawsuit, they planned to boycott a game against Duke on February 17 after leaving a practice last season due to unpaid invoices. According to the lawsuit, they played despite Hamilton’s assurance that they would be compensated, but they were never paid. The Seminoles lost 76-67.
The lawsuit did not name Hamilton’s lawyer. On Saturday, FSU hosts Syracuse.
Several text messages between players and several between players and Hamilton are included in the allegation.
Last season, FSU had a 17-16 record, including a 10-10 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Hamilton, who is 76, is in the last year of his deal. The Seminoles are 9-4 overall, with a 0-2 league record.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs have all left the squad. Last spring, Green and Nickelberry used up all of their college credits, while the other four transferred. Fletcher is at Xavier, De’Ante Green is at USF, Warley is at Gonzaga, and Spears is presently at UTSA.
The case is the most recent of an increasing number of NIL court cases.
Since he was never given a $100,000 NIL contract, Matthew Sluka, a starting quarterback for the UNLV football team, quit the program after three games in September. Jaden Rashada, a former Florida quarterback who is currently playing for Georgia, filed a lawsuit against Gators coach Billy Napier last year over an unpaid $13 million NIL contract. Additionally, a number of Tulsa players assert that previous coach Kevin Wilson never paid them thousands of dollars in NIL obligations.
Stories that matter are our priority. At Florida Insider, we make sure that the information we provide our readers is accurate, easy-to-read, and informative. Whether you are interested in business, education, government, history, sports, real estate, nature or travel: we have something for everyone. Follow along for the best stories in the Sunshine State.
Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.