Former NBA player Noah Vonleh is asking a California federal court to keep his lawsuit against several former agents in court, arguing the dispute should not be sent back to arbitration.
In a filing submitted this week, Vonleh opposed a request by Pensack Sports to dismiss the case or force arbitration. He argued that an international basketball arbitration body did not rule in the agency’s favor, contrary to claims made by the defendants.
Vonleh said the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal, a Switzerland-based forum recognized by international basketball authorities, actually supports his position that Pensack improperly benefited from undisclosed arrangements tied to his 2021 contract with a professional basketball team in Shanghai.
According to the complaint, a China-based sub-agent, EJY LLC, along with agents Alex Yam and Zhang Jiji, entered into a separate agreement for fees without Vonleh’s consent. Vonleh alleges the agreement included a forged signature and resulted in $110,000 being diverted from his $1.3 million contract. He further claims Pensack received compensation directly from the team and later attempted to collect additional payment from him.
Vonleh contends those actions violate California laws governing athlete representation agreements. He also argues that EJY and the individual agents were never parties to his original agency contract, making any arbitration clause unenforceable.
“This voidness extends to the entire contract, including any arbitration clause contained within it,” Vonleh said in his filing. “The statute does not carve out exceptions.”
Vonleh, who played for seven NBA teams across eight seasons before playing overseas, first brought the lawsuit in California state court last October. The case was later moved to federal court, where Vonleh has asked for it to be sent back to state court.
The defendants dispute Vonleh’s claims and argue that the fee dispute was already resolved through arbitration. They maintain that a prior ruling confirmed Vonleh still owed agency fees and say the lawsuit is an attempt to relitigate settled issues.
Pensack Sports, in a statement through its attorneys, said the dispute arises from Vonleh’s refusal to pay for representation services and warned it may seek sanctions. The agency also accused Vonleh of making false public accusations, allegations he has not publicly addressed.
The court has not yet ruled on whether the case will proceed in court or be redirected to arbitration.
Vonleh is represented by Aric N. Williams of The Law Office of Aric N. Williams.
Pensack Sports is represented by Eugene Meyers and Mark B. Chassman of Meister Seelig & Fein PLLC.
Alex Yam and EJY LLC are represented by Jennifer Chou Watson and George A. Rios III of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.
The case is Noah Vonleh v. Alex Yam et al., case number 8:25-cv-02606, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
