{"id":267472,"date":"2025-09-05T01:57:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T01:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/267472\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T01:57:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T01:57:17","slug":"uncle-dennis-strikes-again-former-san-antonio-spur-kawhi-leonard-faces-pay-cap-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/267472\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Uncle Dennis\u2019 strikes again: Former San Antonio Spur Kawhi Leonard faces pay-cap scandal\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KawhiKawhi Leonard scores during his time with the Spurs. Credit: Wikimedia Commons \/ Jose Garcia<\/p>\n

Two-time NBA Champion and former Spur Kawhi Leonard is facing potential heat from more than just bitter San Antonio hoops fans. <\/p>\n

An independent sports journalist accused the star of circumventing the league\u2019s salary cap via a fraudulent endorsement deal \u2014 and Spurs fans on social media can\u2019t seem to get enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cKAWHRMA,\u201d San Antonio Zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow posted on social media platform X.\u00a0<\/p>\n

KAWHRMA! \ud83d\udc0d #IYKYK<\/a> #Kawhi<\/a> #PorVida<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tim Morrow (@MananaZoo) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Podcaster and former ESPN host Pablo Torre alleged in a Wednesday episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gave Leonard an extra $28 million salary via an endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt tree-planting service. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The tree planting service, Aspiration, is owned by Ballmer, and the endorsement deal was signed with KL2 Aspire, an LLC owned by Leonard, according to legal documents cited by Torre.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The payments for Leonard\u2019s endorsement deal with Ballmer\u2019s Aspiration were sent directly to Dennis Robertson, Leonard\u2019s uncle and longtime advisor, Torre alleged in his report.<\/p>\n

Spurs fans have long blamed Robertson, also known as \u201cUncle Dennis,\u201d for prompting Leonard\u2019s departure from San Antonio in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The contract between the tree company and Leonard\u2019s LLC had two eyebrow-raising clauses, according to Torre.<\/p>\n

The first allowed Leonard to \u201cdecline to proceed with any action desired by the Company,\u201d meaning the player technically didn\u2019t have to do anything for the business in exchange for the $28 million, Torre asserts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The second clause stated Leonard would only be paid if he remained a Clipper, the independent journalist reported. <\/p>\n

Further, Torre said he couldn\u2019t find any evidence that Leonard did work for the company, suggesting the contract was a way to funnel him cash without violating the NBA\u2019s salary cap.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a “no-show job” with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre<\/a>.
“It was to circumvent the salary cap,” an inside source says. pic.twitter.com\/F6z5pNEkI1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Leonard\u2019s reported annual salary is $50 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Torre further reported that a former Aspiration employee, who went on the record \u2014\u00a0albeit with a voice modifier to hide his identity \u2014\u00a0said the scheme was designed as an end run around the salary cap.<\/p>\n

NBA officials haven\u2019t publicly commented on Torre\u2019s report. However, Spurs fans are having a field day online commenting on the latest developments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll boo Kawhai till the end of time,\u201d NEWS4SA\u2019s David Chancellor tweeted. \u201cBut, $28 million to do NOTHING? I ain\u2019t mad at him for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll boo Kawhi till the end of time, but $28 million to do NOTHING?
I ain\u2019t mad at him for that.#KawhiLeonard<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Chancellor (@DavidChancellor) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Former KENS 5 Spurs reporter Tom Petrini tweeted he\u2019s all for \u201cplausible deniability\u201d but found the circumstances surrounding the payment questionable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Love me some plausible deniability but there is nothing plausible about \u201cCompany pays Kawhi $28m, more than all their other celebrity endorsements combined, on a contract that didn\u2019t force him to do anything but stay a Clipper, just forgot to ask him to promote their brand.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/cWUkvSXmn0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Silver and Black fan @SpursRealist tweeted that \u201cworst thing Pop ever did was try to stop those boos,\u201d referencing when former Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich grabbed a microphone<\/a> and asked fans at the Frost Bank Center to stop harassing Leonard from the stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Worst thing Pop ever did was try and stop those boos \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

\u2014 \ud835\udd7d\ud835\udd8a\ud835\udd86\ud835\udd91\ud835\udd8e\ud835\udd98\ud835\udd99 \ud83c\udfc0 (@SpursRealist) September 3, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

The Clippers could face a fine of up to $4.5 million, loss of a first-round pick and the possibility of being forced to void Leonard\u2019s contract if the allegations of salary cap circumvention prove true, according to league rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stay tuned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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