Kawhi Leonard’s wild ride with the Los Angeles Clippers is officially over. The NBA just approved his trade to the Toronto Raptors, finally ending what’s been a truly scandalous stint with the Clippers.
The “Crime” That Dominated Headlines
Remember all the craziness? Steve Ballmer and the Clippers franchise totally skirted the salary cap to pay Leonard, a saga that kept us glued to the headlines for a solid year. Now, that’s finally wrapped up. While the Clippers are facing some tough punishments, Leonard himself seems to have gotten off pretty lightly. Stephen A. Smith was almost in disbelief when he talked about it, calling it a “crime.”
Ballmer and the Clippers stepped up, taking responsibility and apologizing for the whole “Aspiration issue.” Leonard’s contribution? He fired his uncle and previous agent, Dennis Robertson. But the only real punishment he personally received was a $700,000 fine. Let’s be real, for a two-time NBA champion, that’s just a drop in the bucket.
Stephen A. Smith Didn’t Hold Back
After the Toronto trade went through, Stephen A. Smith absolutely let loose on ESPN. “For him to cause all the trouble he has caused to this organisation, and to walk away with nothing more than having to surrender $700,000 worth of restitution… It’s a crime,” Smith blasted. He didn’t stop there, either. “Kawhi Leonard, I said this the other day, he’s a gangster. He broke the rules, got caught, pointed the finger at somebody else, threw the organisation under the bus, got his money, and left the country. I mean, damn, how much better can it get than that?”
Smith has been a long-time critic of Leonard’s behavior, and honestly, it’s hard to argue he’s wrong here. Kawhi seems to have completely avoided any serious punishment, and get this, he still ended up exactly where he wanted to be. That is pretty wild, isn’t it?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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