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NBA Coach George Karl Sued By Agent For Not Making $10,000 Monthly Payments

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl during the press conference announcing him NBA coach of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl during the press conference announcing him NBA coach of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl during the press conference announcing him NBA coach of the year at the Pepsi Center. Photo Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

“Agents can build expectations so high they can’t be met.”  That’s what attorney Bret Adams said in an interview 10 years ago for an article that highlighted how he lucked into his practice of representing coaches, media personalities and artists in contract negotiations.

10 years later and attorney Adams is suing one of his more prominent clients — longtime NBA coach George Karl.  The Columbus Business First has reported that Adams (a Columbus attorney) filed a lawsuit against Karl on the grounds that Karl has improperly withheld fees due to Adams based on their contractual agreement.

Sports Agent Blog has accessed the Complaint filed on September 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.  The Complaint, which is barely 4 pages in length, says that the contractual agreement between Karl and Adams stipulates that Karl is to pay Adams a stipend of $10,000 per month and required Karl to grant Adams “new business opportunities” through introductions and referrals to other coaches in need of representation.

Adams alleges that he is entitled to payments through the 2018 NBA season, which would turn out to be hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation.  The Complaint states that Karl stopped paying Adams this January.

Maybe Adams built his expectations too high in this case.

Bret Adams v. George Karl by Darren Adam Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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