Toronto Raptors Owner Called 3 Sponsors to Meet Kawhi Leonard’s Demand of Extra $15 Million in Endorsement Money in 2019

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Leonard’s uncle and chief business partner, Dennis Robertson, asked teams for improper benefits in 2019, according to The Athletic.

A two-time Finals MVP, Leonard was linked to the Raptors, Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.

“Sources at the time said Robertson asked team officials for part ownership of the team, a private plane that would be available at all times, a house and a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money that they could expect if Leonard played for their team,” The Athletic reported.

“League sources with knowledge of that investigation said no evidence was found indicating that the Clippers — who ultimately landed Leonard on a three-year, $103 million contract in the summer of 2019 — had granted any of the lavish requests, but Silver said if further evidence surfaced the league would re-open its investigation.”

Leonard and the Clippers are in the news for the wrong reasons again.

One of the top players in NBA history, Leonard allegedly received a lucrative, no-work contract from a now-bankrupt environmental company with direct ties to his team, the Clippers and franchise owner Steve Ballmer so that he could be paid more money without it counting against the NBA’s salary rules.

On the latest episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, seven anonymous former employees for San Francisco-based Aspiration said the four-year, $28 million endorsement deal Leonard received in 2022 was for a “no-show job” intended to “circumvent the (NBA) salary cap.”

Leonard, 34, signed a three-year, $149.5 million extension with the Clippers in January 2024.