Six Former Florida State Players Sue Coach Leonard Hamilton Over NIL
Six ex-Florida State basketball players are suing coach Leonard Hamilton for $1.5 million in unpaid NIL compensation, claiming broken promises.
#Sports#
#Florida State, #Leonard Hamilton, #NIL, #College Basketball, #Lawsuit, #Darin Green Jr., #Josh Nickelberry, #Primo Spears#
Tallahassee: So, here’s the scoop. Six former players from Florida State are taking their old coach, Leonard Hamilton, to court. They’re claiming he promised them a whopping $1.5 million in NIL payments but never delivered. Can you believe that?
The lawsuit was filed in Leon County, Florida, and it’s making waves. These players say they even skipped practice last season because they were fed up with the unpaid promises. They were really serious about it!
The players involved—Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green, and Jalen Warley—are saying Hamilton told each of them they’d get $250,000 from his “business partners.” But guess what? They never saw a dime.
They claim Hamilton made these promises during team meetings and even in chats with their families. Some of them transferred to Florida State based on these assurances. That’s a big deal!
To back up their claims, the lawsuit includes text messages between the players and Hamilton, showing how frustrated they were. They even staged a walkout during practice before a game against Duke to show how upset they were about the money situation.
In those messages, players expressed how they needed the cash for everyday stuff like rent and car payments. They were really feeling the pressure. One player even said it was affecting their game on the court.
Last season, Florida State had a rough time, finishing with a 17-16 record. Hamilton, who’s been coaching for decades, has a hefty salary of $2.25 million. But now, the players are saying he let them down.
None of the players suing are on the team anymore. Some transferred out, and others just ran out of eligibility. The lawsuit is a peek into the messy world of NIL deals in college sports, where promises can easily fall through.
It’s not just Florida State, either. Other schools have had similar issues, with players claiming they were promised big bucks that never came through. The whole NIL situation is still pretty chaotic, and it’s clear there’s a lot of confusion about how it all works.
As the NCAA gears up for changes in how athletes get paid, this lawsuit could be a big deal. The players are hoping to hold Hamilton accountable for what they see as broken promises. They’re asking for $250,000 each, plus more for damages.
It’s a wild situation, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out in court. The players just want what they were promised, and they’re not backing down.