Stephen A. Smith weighs in on Kawhi Leonard and Uncle Dennis amid Los Angeles Clippers’ $28 million controversy

According to the most recent accusations from investigator Pablo Torre, the Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was reportedly getting $7 million annually via a now-bankrupt tree-planting business that had financial ties to team owner Steve Ballmer.

Later, information on a reported $28 million agreement between Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard came to light. Shortly after this, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith responded to this, bringing up a more general argument regarding Leonard's dedication to the team and the reported involvement of his family members.

Stephen A. Smith defends Steve Ballmer while addressing Kawhi Leonard controversy

Following the accusations, First Take's Stephen A. Smith verbally attacked Leonard on his YouTube program on Wednesday morning. He further claimed that he had never witnessed a "superstar do less to market and promote his team or promote the brand." He then continued:“The NBA completed that investigation into Robertson, also known as Uncle Dennis, and found no evidence the Clippers granted illegal benefits to Landon while pursuing him in free agency”.The discussion shifted when Stephen A. stepped up and focused on the player’s family angle. He explained Uncle Dennis’ role and the reasons the accusations need to be looked into. He added: “Let me tell you something that I know about Uncle Dennis. I’m certainly not going to accuse him of something illegal, but anything legal and within bounds that falls under the category of a perk, if anybody’s going to ask for Kawhi Leonard, it’s him.”

Then, supporting the owner of Los Angeles Clippers, Steve Ballmer, he said: “I'm going to give Steve Ballmer the benefit of the doubt. I know him. I know a lot of people within the Clippers franchise, a lot of them are first class all the way and they should be very very proud of the people that they have employed under his umbrella because, you know, they're big- time people. Their integrity is top-notch…”The fact that Stephen emphasized on the gravity of the accusations and stated that "it does warrant an investigation" is noteworthy.

This is because his words reportedly frequently increase public pressure on league headquarters and team executives.He further said that:“These accusations are serious and if somebody is being accused of circumventing the salary cap that puts them at an unfair advantage which is not something that could ever be tolerated. So the NBA should investigate this matter…”

Kawhi Leonard and L.A. Clippers under scrutiny after $28 million contract controversy

In his program "Pablo Torre Finds Out," Pablo Torre provided a set of evidence that contributed to the controversy.

During the 80-minute program, he explained how Aspiration provided Leonard's business, KL2 Aspire LLC, with $28 million.

As per the conditions of the contract between Aspiration and Leonard's company, the star would have to play for the Los Angeles Clippers in order to qualify for that funding. Furthermore, Torre was told by a former Aspiration employee that Robertson had gotten in touch to ask for the payment.If the charges are true, Ballmer, Kawhi, and the Clippers will be dealing with a lot of issues in the future. Meanwhile, following this, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized Kawhi Leonard for the alleged "No-Show" incident. In a recent First Take broadcast, Smith also addressed Leonard during one of his most recent outbursts, claiming that the player had been doing nothing for years.Also read: Who is Uncle Dennis? Exploring how Kawhi Leonard’s uncle became a key figure in the Los Angele Clippers drama