Previous record! US media brings up Kawhi's past illegal demands: asking Lakers for equity, plane, house, endorsements

On August 9, Beijing time, Leonard has been exposed to possibly signing three illegal endorsement contracts. Famous pundit A. Smith said that if the investigation is true, the league superstar should be suspended for at least a year. US media also brought up an old story from seven years ago, when Kawhi was rumored to have illegally demanded compensation.

In the 2019 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers completed a blockbuster trade to acquire Anthony Davis, while also attempting to sign two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in free agency, showing great ambition.

In the previous season, they had already obtained LeBron James, and a super team that could dominate the next era of the NBA seemed about to be born.

For weeks, the idea of James, Davis, and Leonard playing together seemed like a turning point in league history.

But this dream ultimately did not come true. Despite the Lakers' full pursuit, Leonard chose to join the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers, leaving the Lakers empty-handed.

In the following months, the details behind the negotiations gradually surfaced. The central figure in the incident was Leonard's uncle and his most trusted advisor, Dennis Robertson.

He was exposed as having made multiple illegal demands that cast a shadow over the negotiations, prompting the outside world to seriously examine: what price does it take to sign a superstar in the modern free market?

The Athletic reporter Sam Amick reported at the time:"Sources revealed that the league received information that Robertson demanded from team management partial ownership of the team, a private plane available at any time, a house, and most importantly, if Leonard joined, a guaranteed fixed amount of off-court endorsement compensation."

Such demands were very bold, directly violating the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Even the wealthy Lakers had no legal way to agree to these conditions. Then-Lakers owner Jeanie Buss clearly stated that this list of demands was illegal and refused to consider these special treatments. Her stance was to ensure the team operated in compliance and acted with integrity.

Even though the Lakers were desperate to win another championship, Jeanie was unwilling to risk being accused of illegal inducement or even more serious consequences to obtain a third star.