NIL’s boundaries under scrutiny as basketball Hall of Famer sues Harlem Globetrotters

Basketball legend Lynette Woodard is suing the Harlem Globetrotters for misappropriation of her Name, Image and Likeness.

Woodard rose to stardom at Kansas as a four-time All-American before becoming a two-time Olympian and the captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, which earned a gold medal.

After a WNBA career and professional stints in Europe and Japan, she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. Additionally, Woodard is a member of the National High School Hall of Fame, the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Black Legends Professional Hall of Fame, the State of Kansas Hall of Fame and the African American Hall of Fame.

In the midst of her legendary career, Woodard became a member of the Harlem Globetrotters in 1986. She became the first woman to ever play for a men’s professional basketball team and spent two years touring with the team.

According to a report from Sportico's Michael McCann, Woodard's suit against the Harlem Globetrotters includes 14 claims, one of which being the alleged misappropriation of her NIL in a clothing line.

Harlem Globetrotters partnered with streetwear brand UNDRCRWN in 2022 and released a Lynette fleece sweatsuit, which was “named in honor of Lynette Woodard … whose breakthrough participation made the Globetrotters the first co-ed professional team," according to the report.

Woodard's contract – according to her attorneys Michael L. Murphy, Elliott C. McGraw and Michael B. Clohisy – included a California choice of law provision, which indicates that California's NIL legislation is in effect.

And by being a part of the collective bargaining agreement between the Globetrotters and United Basketball Players Association, Woodward maintains that she is owed royalties from Lynette fleece sweatsuit. The CBA states that when merchandising revenue exceeds $5,000 in one year, a player is owed 25% royalty rate of net merchandising revenue.

Woodard, 65, alleges that the Globetrotters “never sought” her consent, because they knew she “would not give it for free."

She is seeking profits from the sale of the apparel line as well as damages, attorney’s fees and an injunction that would block what she terms further infringement, according to Sportico.