Stephen A. Smith Goes After Kawhi Leonard After NBA Fines Him $700K for Clippers Scandal: “He Got Off Easy”

Once it became clear how much the salary cap circumvention scandal was going to cost the Los Angeles Clippers, many wondered how Kawhi Leonard got away with far fewer punishments.

The NBA docked the team’s five future first-round picks. They start from the 2029 season, which means that the team will lose the chance to draft prospects who will be crucial to their long-term success.

The $30 million fine might not seem much, considering the Clippers can make that back in a jiffy. But then, one-year suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker are going to hit them hard.

A six-month suspension for President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank could also prove to be troublesome, as he will have to catch up and help the team improve without watching the team in real time.

The Clippers will also be under scrutiny for the next five years. That sort of attention is not good for any franchise looking to leave such a scandal behind. In the midst of all this, all Kawhi Leonard will face is a $700,000 fine.

He is the absolute worst superstar in the history of American sports. Kawhi Leonard got off easy… He owes tens of millions of dollars for the amount of time he has taken off from work. He should give masterclasses on how to get paid for not working.

Stephen A. Smith said

This was the ESPN analyst letting it be known that the two-time Finals MVP got off easy by paying a small fine. He should have faced bigger repercussions for basically swindling the Clippers and the league out of its money.

Stephen A. Smith continues his rant against Kawhi Leonard

After talking about how Kawhi Leonard has become a master at swindling money, Stephen A. Smith then went on to detail why the superstar has been good at avoiding the repercussions.

Here’s how Kawhi Leonard gets away with everything. Because he is so damn quiet. He never says anything. His name just flies over it. But he was the one benefiting the most… I don’t think it is painful enough for Kawhi Leonard.

Stephen A. Smith said

Smith added that Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, who orchestrated all these dealings, has faced the brunt of a five-year suspension. But it should be the small forward who should be punished for starting this entire mess.

Had he not allowed his uncle or his family members to make such demands, this entire scandal would not have happened. There is a reason why some teams declined to honor such requests, knowing it is in clear violation of the league’s rules.

Therefore, Kawhi Leonard should bear the brunt of it, since he knew all too well how illegal his and his family’s demands were. It was just that Steve Ballmer was desperate for success, and the superstar took advantage of it.

Stephen A. Smith tears into ‘stupid’ Clippers for agreeing to Kawhi Leonard’s demands

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors did not agree to Kawhi Leonard’s or his uncle’s demands. The Clippers did, and in hindsight, Stephen A. Smith believes that the team has set itself back by a decade.

If this was for LeBron James, I’d understand. If this was for Steph Curry, I’d understand… He had already been injured a few times since arriving with the Clippers, that were already going nowhere. You did this for him? For him? It’s a new form of stupidity. And I don’t know if the Clippers will ever recover from this. This is catastrophic. This is so bad.

Smith said

The 58-year-old reiterated on his namesake show that by the time the Clippers can draft again in 2034, they would have lost the chance to be competitive. The price to bring in Leonard has become such that this reeks of stupidity.

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