Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Demanding Private Jet and Part of $10 Billion Lakers Enrages Fans: “Who Does He Think He Is?”

Kawhi Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson, is under scrutiny for allegedly speaking on his nephew's behalf with teams during the 2019 free agency.

Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Demanding Private Jet and Part of $10 Billion Lakers Enrages Fans: “Who Does He Think He Is?”

Kawhi Leonards's uncle asked Lakers for stake in ownership (Image via FirstSportz)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Kawhi Leonard should have been focusing on his conditioning before returning to work ahead of the 2025-26 season. But this offseason has been nothing but about his fitness or his play on the court.

Instead, it was the revelation that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap to sign him in 2019 that sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world.

The franchise has denied any involvement, and owner Steve Ballmer has painted himself as the victim of the scam, but more and more evidence is starting to pile up.

The Toronto Star revealed that KawhiLeonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, asked the Raptors owner, Larry Tanenbaum, to add a part ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with ownership stakes in companies outside the team.

Along with that, they also demanded $10 million per year in extra sponsorship income. Once they realized such requests would violate NBA rules, they backed out.

Then the star forward ended up signing with the Clippers. Now, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reveals some other information about similar demands made to the Clippers, Raptors, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

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.

Baxter Holmes revealed in his article

The Athletic had reported about those demands back in 2019, but the league cleared the Clippers after conducting an investigation. However, now that the Pablo Torre investigation has brought documentation to light, the NBA might investigate Kawhi Leonard’s camp’s demands

Fans fume after learning about Kawhi Leonard’s demands

It is not a secret that players with winning resumes or marketing clout make demands to a team that is courting them. But most of it generally results in a revenue-sharing method focused on merchandise sales or helping them gain in business ventures outside the purview of the team.

But those benefits are usually reserved for players the franchise knows will impact them both in terms of winning and financially. In Kawhi Leonard‘s case, fans understand he has a winning pedigree.

They, however, cannot wrap their heads around the fact that the 34-year-old has made such demands despite being one of the least marketable players in the league.

Maybe that is why his uncle made demands that did not require him to become a marketing personality. His ‘no-show’ endorsement deal with Aspiration was perfect for him.

However, fans cannot understand how Kawhi Leonard’s camp felt he could ask for an ownership stake in the now-$10 billion valued Los Angeles Lakers, or any other franchise, for that matter. Check out examples of those reactions below.

If Kawhi Leonard’s uncle did indeed make those demands, the NBA will likely consider it and impose a penalty, if not an outright ban on him. Fans believe that is the only punishment that can stop others from making such demands.

Clippers won’t keep Kawhi Leonard after current contract expires

The article summarizes all the events that have unfolded since 2019 to now. As the NBA continues to investigate the scandal, one of the common thoughts surrounding the league is how the Clippers view Kawhi Leonard.

Kawhi Leonard signed with Clippers in 2019
Kawhi Leonard signed with Clippers in 2019 (Image via Bleacher Report/X)

Multiple GMs and other league executives said they expect Leonard to play out his contract with the Clippers, which is set to end after the 2026-27 season. But even then, one former staffer said, the organization’s focus has shifted. ‘They’re done building around [Kawhi],’ he said. ‘They know that and he knows that.’

Baxter Holmes revealed

In January 2024, the 2-time champion signed a 3-year, $153 million contract extension. By the time that contract comes to a close, he will be 36 years old.

There are already concerns over how long the superstar can continue to play, especially with his long injury history. However, now that it is starting to come to light that some injuries might have been his way of pushing to get paid, he might want to continue playing.

Also Read: