“They really think Kawhi is Jesus” – NBA fans react to fresh report of Kawhi Leonard’s uncle Dennis demanding ownership stake in Lakers

Back in 2019, Kawhi Leonard was the most sought-after superstar in the NBA. He was fresh off winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, and multiple teams were keeping tabs on him in free agency.

There were concerning reports at the time, stating that his uncle, Dennis Robertson, was demanding multiple perks that were against the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Now, with journalist Pablo Torre uncovering a fishy no-show job scheme that could have helped the LA Clippers circumvent the salary cap to sign him to a contract extension, ESPN insider Baxter Holmes shed light on some of his uncle’s alleged requests:

"Those requests included part ownership of the team, access to a private plane, a house and guaranteed off-court endorsement money, one source with direct knowledge of the talks said. They were the same requests that, according to The Athletic, Robertson made of the Lakers and the Raptors," Holmes reported.

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Needless to say, it didn't take long before the fans shared their thoughts on this matter. Here are some of the best reactions:

Mello⚡️⚡️ (2-0)

@MelloMamba

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Bro Leonard’s Camp was NOT PLAYING with the league 😭😭😭

MrBuckBuck

@MrBuckBuckNBA

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Talking about "reaching for the stars and landing on the moon"

Others called out the Clippers for potentially meeting Leonard's camp's demands:

dunkr

@NBAndChill

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter He must've asked a lot from the Clippers too and he likely got it 🤷🏽‍♂️

Buddy Boy Bets

@Buddyboybets

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter Kawhi ultimately signed with the Clippers, and the league is now probing whether any of those off-court benefits were improperly delivered.

Cousin skeeter

@HugoJuego

@TheDunkCentral @Baxter What did the clippers give him then? Because if it’s not half this it’s crazy.

Leonard was the best two-way player in the NBA at the time, but injuries have prevented him from taking his team to the biggest stage.

Now, years after his signing, the Clippers are facing some serious consequences if these accusations are proven to be true.

NBA Commissioner vows to get to the bottom of the Kawhi Leonard drama

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is now under a lot of pressure to address this situation. Failure to do so could set a dangerous precedent, and he's aware of that:

"I don't know anything about Kawhi's deal. Show, no show; we'll certainly find out," Silver told Front Office Sports. "We will get to the bottom of it."

Silver initially said that he wasn't aware of Aspiration, the company allegedly used to orchestrate the scheme. But given that they were founding partner of the Clippers' Intuit Dome, the league had to be aware of their existence, which is why he may have changed the tone:

"If I said I never heard of it, I meant in the context of the accusations here," Silver said. "I was certainly aware of the brand."

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, on the other hand, tried to downplay the seriousness of the issue:

"This too shall pass," Ballmer said at a Sports Business Journal event, adding that he was "quite confident that we abided the rules."

The league is conducting an investigation, and there will most definitely be more updates to come.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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