Adam Silver and the NBA have finally closed the book on their investigation into the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard, and the punishment landed hardest on the people around him.
The league announced that Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle, has been banned for five years. According to the NBA’s official statement, its independent investigation found that the Clippers “created ways to facilitate additional off-court income opportunities for Kawhi Leonard.” The league also said Robertson pressured the team to help generate those opportunities for Leonard and then failed to reimburse the Clippers for their expenses after the deals were secured.
Those companies were identified as Aspiration, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance. The league said the arrangements were made without Leonard’s consent, and Leonard reportedly fired Robertson in June.
Robertson’s ban means he cannot pursue opportunities within the league for the next five years. It is not an indefinite ban, but the NBA’s ruling leaves little doubt about how the league views his role in the situation.
The bigger fallout for the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer is severe. Ballmer was fined $30 million and suspended for one year. The Clippers were also stripped of five first-round picks, with their 2029 through 2033 selections forfeited.
Leonard himself was ordered to pay $700,000. His contract was not voided, and he was not suspended.
Last year, whistleblower Pablo Torre’s report on Leonard’s off-court dealings with Aspiration turned into a year-long story that followed both Leonard and the Clippers. After the league’s ruling, the punishment for Leonard was relatively light compared with the penalties handed down to Ballmer, the team, and Robertson.
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