The Collective Bargaining Agreement: The Financial and Logistical Guide to the Modern NBA

National Basketball Association (NBA) fans have been glued to their phones lately wondering which players will sign where. The start of the NBA free agency period has become somewhat of a sports holiday when players announce their new (or same) destinations. Teams often resort to buying billboards, hiring celebrities, and even offering players free food for life to convince these free agents to sign with them. The contract and monetary amounts for players can be staggering. Players are accumulating generational wealth and are constantly …

June 27, 2019 Basketball / NBA

The Impending Durant-Warriors Lawsuit That No One Is Talking About

The grumblings are growing louder that Kevin Durant will leave the Golden State Warriors with a parting gift: a bombshell lawsuit that would send shockwaves throughout the legal and sports communities.

Last week, I wrote a long-form article as to how, and under what theory, Durant could sue the Warriors based on his torn Achilles, diving into his finances and those of comparable athletes to suggest that the lawsuit could be over $1 billion. It was purely an academic exercise at that point.

Yet, since …

June 21, 2019 Basketball / NBA

The Perils of Assuming an Unknown Risk: The Anatomy of a $1 Billion Dollar Durant-Warriors Lawsuit

Willis Reed starred in the original and Kevin Durant was poised to headline the remake. Each were legends as a result, but the first was a feel-good story, while the second was a tragedy and one that may lead us to the highest value personal injury lawsuit we’ve ever seen.

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Let’s jump back in the time machine. It’s game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks are coming off a loss in …

June 19, 2019 Basketball / NBA

Altercation Involving Masai Ujiri Leads to More than Just NBA Championship Press Coverage

A deputy suffered injuries, including a concussion, during an altercation with Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri. The deputy stopped Ujiri while he attempted to join his team on the court after clinching their NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, California at Oracle Arena, causing a brief physical altercation. ESPN and the Associated Press reported that the 20-year-veteran of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office also suffered a broken jaw during the altercation. According to Yahoo Sports, the deputy hired a high-profile civil …

April 30, 2019 Basketball / Celebrities / NBA

Michael Avenatti Accused of Embezzling $2 million From NBA Player

Michael Avenatti, celebrity lawyer and notably outspoken President Trump critic, is once again in the spot light. On April 21, 2019, the Los Angeles Timesreported that, in 2017, Avenatti embezzled $2 million from NBA player Hassan Whiteside.

Back in 2017, Avenatti was representing Alexis Gardner, Whiteside’s ex-girlfriend, in order to negotiate a settlement of a potential lawsuit against Whiteside. The public does not know the contents of an alleged potential lawsuit; however, Avenatti was able to negotiate a $3 million settlement.

Both Gardner and …

December 4, 2018 Fantasy Sports / Gambling / NBA / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

Let’s Go Live: NBA Announces Partnership to Distribute Real-Time Odds

On November 28, 2018, the NBA announced that sports data providers Genius Sports and Sportradar will have nonexclusive rights to distribute real-time, official data to licensed sportsbooks in the U.S. This is inclusive of both NBA and WNBA games, including preseason, regular season, and postseason play.

This partnership comes on the heels of “live betting” beginning to take off; indeed, at a recent gaming conference in New York, a FanDuel executive noted that in-game betting amounts to approximately 40% of the amount wagered at its …

November 7, 2018 Contract / Fantasy Sports / Gambling / NBA / NHL

NHL Partners with MGM

On October 29, 2018, the NHL announced a partnership with MGM Resorts International and became the second North American sports league to reach a partnership with the professional sports betting operator. As per the terms, the NHL officially designated MGM Resorts as the official sports betting partner of the NHL. Specifically, the deal allows MGM Resorts to host NHL promotional opportunities and establishes MGM Resorts as an official resorts partner of the NHL. Further, the deal provides MGM Resorts access to the NHL’s proprietary game …

July 17, 2018 Advertising / Basketball / Copyright / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / NBA / Sponsorships / Trademark

Nike ‘Jumps’ Over Photographer Who Sued Over Iconic ‘Jumpman’ Logo

Nike’s namesake comes from the Greek Goddess of Victory and the sportswear giant once again lived up to their legendary name by scoring a second victory in the Ninth Circuit. The Sports Law Insider has previously reported on the three-year suit between photographer Jacobus Rentmeester and Nike over the iconic Jumpman Jordan logo.

The action started back in January 2014 when Rentmeester filed suit against Nike for copyright infringement. The iconic logo shows Michael Jordan in a common ballet pose known as the grand …

July 6, 2018 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / MLB / NBA / NHL / Trademark

Major Sports Leagues Band Together Against Merchandise Counterfeiters

Three major sports leagues, among others, have recently banded together to put an end to a purportedly massive online circuit of sports merchandise counterfeiters using the leagues’ distinctive trademarks. On July 2, 2018, NBA Properties, Inc., MLB Advanced Media, L.P., NHL Enterprises, L.P., IMG College Licensing, LLC, and the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (Plaintiffs) filed suit against an undisclosed list of foreign defendants for alleged trademark infringement.

Plaintiffs contend that the online stores are selling their products by using their distinctive …

June 29, 2018 Basketball / Celebrities / civil rights / Ethics / NBA

Bucks Guard Sues Milwaukee Police Over Racial Profiling Incident

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Sterling Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, the chief of the Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) and eight other MPD officers and sergeants in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Brown claims the defendants violated his civil and constitutional rights and applied excessive and brutal force while unlawfully arresting him. The suit arises out of the highly publicized incident that took place on Friday, January 26 at 2 a.m.

Brown was parked …