Former NBA star and NCAA national champion with the University of Kentucky Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has filed a massive $40 million lawsuit against an insurance company after he alleges they denied him coverage, Fox News reported.
Kidd-Gilchrist reportedly received a COVID-19-linked myocarditis diagnosis and hasn’t been in the NBA since 2020, the outlet noted. In December of that year, the 2012 NBA Draft No. 2 overall pick was suffering from acute chest pain, and was forced out of basketball after being advised not to play.
The former Charlotte Hornet and Dallas Maverick made his claim to Lloyd’s of London “for coverage under the policy due to permanent total disablement arising from a sickness,” according to Kidd-Gilchrist’s lawyer Jason Morrin, Fox News reported. Morrin also says that his client’s health insurance policy still provided him coverage if he wasn’t able to continue “his occupation as a professional basketball player.”
NEW: Former NBA player Michael Kidd-Gilchrist files $40M lawsuit against insurance company for denial of claim after MKG was diagnosed with Covid-19 related myocarditis.
In December 2020, MKG felt acute chest pain while practicing and was advised to stop playing basketball. pic.twitter.com/Cyawq7yaJC
— Jason Morrin (@Jason_Morrin) October 6, 2023
But instead, the insurance company allegedly “refused to fully insure the damage caused by the loss for which plaintiff sought coverage,” according to the outlet.
When he last made an appearance in the NBA, Kidd-Gilchrist was only 26, and said that he was feeling heart disease symptoms as recently as June of this year. (RELATED: Damian Lillard Files For Divorce From His Wife After Bucks Trade, With Miami Heat Outright Dodging A Bullet: REPORT)
The former NBA’er paid reportedly “an annual premium on the policy averaging $66,125,” according to Morris, with the policy being in effect from Sept. 14, 2019 to Sept. 14, 2021, Fox noted.