Los Angeles Clippers veteran Kawhi Leonard has been in hot water. All of which stems from the investigation into an alleged violation of the NBA salary cap over a $28 million endorsement deal with the now-defunct company Aspiration.
A company that was linked to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. All of which emerged from investigative journalist Pablo Torre on his podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out”.
As the investigation remains ongoing, more details are starting to emerge. On Thursday, an anonymous NBA executive made the case that Leonard himself is partly to blame for the demands put forward by his uncle Dennis Robertson, per Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
“Part of this is on Kawhi,” one league executive said. “He allows (Robertson) to operate. There’s a vacuum. The lack of communication creates this void and he just fills it.”
In 2019, Leonard was signed by the Clippers. During negotiations, Robertson was involved and allegedly made improper requests. Among those included Leonard living in San Diego, chartering a helicopter, not following through on media obligations, and allowing him to infuse his crew into the organization.
Ultimately, the NBA investigated and concluded that no evidence was found that those requests were granted.
All of which happened in a battle with the Los Angeles Lakers, whom Robertson allegedly made the same demands to. However, the Lakers rejected those demands, including one that would have given Leonard an ownership stake.
Uncle Dennis' involvement in the latest investigation
Meanwhile, the investigation is examining whether Robertson was involved in a deal with Aspiration. Additionally, another aspect is whether Robertson was trying to capitalize on his nephew.
“They never went against each other,” another league source who worked with Leonard said. “They’re one in the same in my mind. But Uncle Dennis doesn’t mind being the bad guy.”
Furthermore, Robertson made the case that it is about reaction that counts the most.
“Simply put, impressions matter,” he wrote in his wife’s book, “and you only have a few seconds to make your mark.”
At this point, Robertson has not responded to requests for comment.
