A motion filed in federal court on Wednesday on behalf of lawyer Michael Avenatti alleges that a Nike employee approved payments to Zion Williamson and Romeo Langford in 2017 when they were still in high school.
The document alleges a Nike executives' willingness to pay $35,000 to Williamson and $20,000 to Langford. There is no evidence that the payments were made or presented to either player or their families.
Williamson played for Duke, a Nike-sponsored school, last year before being selected by the Pelicans as the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He recently signed a shoe deal with Nike's Jordan Brand.