Christmas Day’s L.A. showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers is almost here, bringing back memories again of the Lakers chase of Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
The Lakers were reportedly upset with how Leonard’s camp handled things, particularly Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson, known more commonly as “Uncle Dennis.” But until now, it’s unclear what the demands were that upset the Lakers so much other than Leonard just deciding he wouldn’t join LeBron James.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick dropped a bombshell on Monday, illustrating the demands Uncle Dennis made of the Lakers that definitely fall outside of the confines of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which the Lakers refused to give Robertson.
The stories about Robertson’s wish list made their way to the league office soon after Leonard made his decision, with concerned parties reporting that Leonard’s uncle had asked pursuing teams for much, much more than a max contract (Kawhi ultimately signed a three-year, $103 million deal with the Clippers). Sources say the league was told that Robertson asked team officials for part ownership of the team, a private plane that would be available at all times, a house and — last but certainly not least — a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money that they could expect if Leonard played for their team.
This is incredible stuff and from the looks of it, something that the NBA player’s union doesn’t want to make a habit of. Amick also reported that the NBA conducted an investigation on the Clippers, which didn’t turn up anything illicit, but that the league and union no longer want relatives of players handling negotiations unless they are certified agents.
Most understood the fallout of Leonard’s decision to join the Clippers from a basketball perspective. Even though he’s again had to miss several games to manage a knee injury that appears to be an issue that will follow him for the remainder of his career, many see the Clippers as the biggest obstacle in the way of the Lakers to the NBA Finals. But now we also understand the fallout Leonard’s free-agent negotiations have had on the league behind the scenes.
While people in the NBA and likely LeBron James himself knew what was going on, this all adds to the backdrop for these two teams to play for the second time this season. It will also be the first time the Lakers get a look at the Clippers with both Leonard and Paul George.
