Former NBA player Noah Vonleh lost his legal battle against his old representation, Pensack Sports. A judge threw out the lawsuit Vonleh filed against the agency. The court ruled that the entire dispute had already been settled through arbitration.
According to TMZ Sports, the legal fight started when Pensack Sports took Vonleh to arbitration in 2023. The agency claimed the 30-year-old former lottery pick did not pay them commissions for his overseas basketball contracts. These were contracts he signed while playing in China.
The arbitrators sided with the agency in June 2024. They decided Vonleh had to pay roughly $192,000, plus interest, legal fees, and costs from the arbitration process. A federal judge later backed that ruling in 2025, turning it into a binding court judgment. Vonleh settled the full amount and paid in August 2025.
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Vonleh’s fraud allegations failed to gain legal traction
After paying the debt, Vonleh filed a separate lawsuit against his former representation. He made serious accusations against Pensack and several Chinese-American middlemen agents involved in his overseas career, including a liaison named Alex Yam. Vonleh alleged fraud, misconduct, and claimed a contract tied to his time with the Shanghai Sharks had been forged.
The court rejected Vonleh’s counter-suit. The judge found the dispute had already been handled in the prior arbitration process. Courts generally do not let people relitigate issues that have already been settled in a binding forum. The judge dismissed all of Vonleh’s claims against Pensack.
The court determined the underlying facts had already been addressed and could not be brought up again. The judge also dismissed the claims Vonleh made against liaison Alex Yam. While Vonleh deals with legal setbacks, other athletes face different challenges, as Travis Kelce navigates major relationship decisions off the field.
Vonleh was the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, initially going to the Charlotte Hornets. He played for several teams during his NBA career, including the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics.
He then went overseas to continue playing basketball. Meanwhile, in the NFL, Jalen Hurts reveals his Super Bowl performer choice that has surprised many fans. Vonleh still has the option to appeal the decision. This means the multi-year legal drama might not be completely over yet.
Published: Feb 5, 2026 01:30 pm