For someone who spent only one year in college, Zion Williamson appears well on his way to getting more courtroom experience than many recent law school graduates. Before he has so much as played in his first NBA game, Williamson has become the veritable Forrest Gump of sports law: He has had his sneaker famously explode in a nationally-televised game – raising the specter of a potential blockbuster personal injury lawsuit against Nike – and, in what may be a first in professional sports, Williamson could soon become embroiled in a trademark battle with his new NBA employer, the New Orleans Pelicans, over the rights to the phrase “Let’s Dance” – for which both Williamson and the NBA team have sought federal trademark protection.



But those issues pale in comparison to Williamson’s latest foray into sports law: a $100 million contractual dispute with his former marketing agent that has sparked a two-state legal battle over the...