Stephen A. Smith calls out NBA star Kawhi Leonard for letting Clippers take the fall for salary cap scandal
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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went nuclear on Kawhi Leonard after the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary cap scandal, torching the league’s soft punishment for a guy who just packed his bags back to Toronto.
“For him to cause all the trouble that he’s caused for this organization and to walk away with nothing more than having to surrender $700,000 worth of restitution is a crime,” Smith said on First Take. “Kawhi Leonard … he’s a gangster.”
The NBA dropped the hammer on the Clippers with the most brutal penalty in league history: a $30 million fine, five lost first-round picks, and a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer.
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Investigators blew the lid off a shady scheme using sponsors like Aspiration and Daktronics to route millions in under-the-table cash to Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Robertson. The mess even triggered federal and SEC probes, plus a five-year NBA ban for Robertson.
Stephen A. Smith speaks on stage as he and Christopher Russo host SiriusXM shows live from Fanatics Fest at Javits Center on July 17, 2026, in New York City. (Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks toward the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Inglewood, Calif., on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
Yet Leonard got off with a lousy $700,000 fine, zero suspension, and a ticket straight back to Toronto.
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Smith spelled out how Leonard let management take the bullet while he skated away untouched.
“He broke the rules, got caught, pointed the finger at somebody else, threw the organization under the bus, got his money and left the country,” Smith said. “I mean, [expletive], how much better can it get than that?”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: ESPN reporter and analyst Stephen A. Smith is seen on the set of “First Take” on February 06, 2026 in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Despite federal and SEC probes into the illicit side deals, the NBA let Leonard walk with a $700,000 restitution fee. In the end, it was a minor handling charge for a guy clearing nearly $50 million annually. He even waived a $7.45 million trade kicker to guarantee his exit back to Canada.
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The Clippers got hit with $30 million in fines, surrendered five first-round picks, and lost their owner for a year. Meanwhile, Kawhi blamed his inner circle, claimed total ignorance and hopped on a flight to Toronto without missing a single game.
Smith got this one dead right: Kawhi pulled off the ultimate hustle.
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