In a nightmarish offseason that won’t end, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is in the news again. Zion, his mother, and stepfather have allegedly failed to pay back a $2 million loan and are being sued by the lender, California tech company Ankr PBC. A civil lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the suit Ankr PBC alleges that they lent Zion and his family $2 million in September 2021 while trying to establish a marketing relationship with the NBA star. It was the company’s hope that the All-Star forward would serve as a company spokesperson.
Who Is Representing Zion In His Business Deals?
The lawsuit also alleges that Ankr assisted Zion with community events and provided him with a personal chef and physical trainer.
According to reports, Zion’s stepfather, Lee Anderson, presented himself as Zion’s business manager and requested $150,000 up front to negotiate any deals with his stepson.
“Based on Williamson’s statements to Ankr, Ankr reasonably believed that Anderson possessed the authority to negotiate business arrangements for Williamson,” the lawsuit stated.
Zion’s mother, Sharonda Sampson, is also listed as a defendant in the suit as Ankr alleges that it wired money into her account after Anderson told them the family needed a “bridge loan” to cover obligations.
“Anderson represented that the loan was urgently needed, as the family had taken on expensive investments including the purchase of certain real estate in New Orleans and could not meet their obligations due to the temporary suspension of payments from Williamson’s sponsorship deals resulting from an injury,” the lawsuit stated.
Zion’s Off Court Life Remains Messy
Anderson also allegedly told Ankr that Zion would not do any business with them if the loan wasn’t made.
The loan was to be paid back by Aug. 21, 2022, according to Ankr under the lending agreement.
The suit also claims that Anderson requested a series of extensions, and that when Ankr did receive a check for $25,000 it bounced.
In April, Ankr and Anderson entered into a forbearance agreement in which the company agreed not to sue if it received repayment of $500,000 by April 25 and the remaining balance by July 6th.
Ankr received the $500,000 payment on time, but about $300,000 of that covered interest, and the remaining $1.8 million is still outstanding.
It seems that there’s a lot going on with Zion off the court. This pending lawsuit, and the messy situation with his ex-lover Moriah Mills.
The 23-year-old two-time All-Star has so much to prove on the court this coming season, all of this off-court drama can’t be helpful in his basketball pursuits.
Earlier this summer Zion talked about changes that needed to be made. Hopefully, he’s got a plan in place that will get him back on the right track.
