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Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 9:11 pm
by RealGM Wiretap

Randy Shelton, a former strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Clippers has sued the franchise and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, alleging wrongful termination in part for raising concerns about the management of Kawhi Leonard's health and injuries.


Shelton joined the Clippers on July 1, 2019 after serving in a similar role at San Diego where he worked with Leonard.


Shelton said he was part of a multiyear effort to recruit Leonard that "leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution" with respect to potential tampering violations.


He is seeking "significant" but unspecified damages at trial, his attorneys told ESPN.


The Clippers denied the allegations in a statement.


"Mr. Shelton's claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton's employment contract and paid him in full," the team said. "This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false."


Shelton said the Clippers first contacted him in 2017 after Leonard suffered a severe ankle injury during the 2017 Western Conference Finals. 


Beginning in 2017, while Leonard remained under contract with the Spurs, Shelton said a Clippers executive contacted him to seek "private health information" about Leonard and expressed the need for "discretion."


Shelton alleges that the Clippers' recruiting efforts were in "disregard for the NBA's prohibitions on tampering." Article 35 of the NBA's constitution prohibits teams from "directly or indirectly" attempting to entice players under contract with one team to join a different team.

Via Baxter Holmes, Ramona Shelburne/ESPN


Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 9:48 pm
by Effigy
This definitely seems like extortion. 'Pay me my money or I'm going to tell people you tampered'.

And I'm sure they did, but that has nothing to do with them firing him.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2024 10:53 pm
by Pickled Prunes
Effigy wrote:This definitely seems like extortion. 'Pay me my money or I'm going to tell people you tampered'.

And I'm sure they did, but that has nothing to do with them firing him.

It can't be extortion because he's already telling everyone that LAC tampered.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 12:40 am
by Effigy
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:This definitely seems like extortion. 'Pay me my money or I'm going to tell people you tampered'.

And I'm sure they did, but that has nothing to do with them firing him.

It can't be extortion because he's already telling everyone that LAC tampered.


L.O.L. Sure. I'm sure this is the very first conversation he's had with LA aobut it, and he didn't threaten this for months. Just because you just found out about this now doesn't mean that's when this started.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 12:40 am
by niha17
you got paid and not retained sounds like sour grapes. Its not wrongful termination

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 1:36 am
by Pickled Prunes
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:This definitely seems like extortion. 'Pay me my money or I'm going to tell people you tampered'.

And I'm sure they did, but that has nothing to do with them firing him.

It can't be extortion because he's already telling everyone that LAC tampered.


L.O.L. Sure. I'm sure this is the very first conversation he's had with LA aobut it, and he didn't threaten this for months. Just because you just found out about this now doesn't mean that's when this started.

Sure, at one time it may have been a failed attempt at extortion... but now it's a guy just complaining about things that may or may not have happen. What we do know is... if these things did actually happen, this guy was fully on board with it at the time.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 6:57 am
by IAMZOOTED2
Bro money grabbing like Alex Van Halen

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 7:04 pm
by Rek
I don't want to jump to conclusions about what actually happened vs. people just being money hungry. It's not like any of us actually know the truth about what did or didn't happen with Leonard's medical care. We weren't there.

If Kawhi ends up pushing for an early retirement and can't even play out his new contract, I could see this court case (if successful) being a springboard for him to legally place blame and collect a massive settlement.

Yes, this is purely speculative on my part. But it wouldn't particularly surprise me if something along those lines plays out.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 9:32 pm
by Effigy
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:It can't be extortion because he's already telling everyone that LAC tampered.


L.O.L. Sure. I'm sure this is the very first conversation he's had with LA aobut it, and he didn't threaten this for months. Just because you just found out about this now doesn't mean that's when this started.

Sure, at one time it may have been a failed attempt at extortion... but now it's a guy just complaining about things that may or may not have happen. What we do know is... if these things did actually happen, this guy was fully on board with it at the time.


Well yeah. This is him following through on his threat when they wouldn't pay him behind the scenes.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2024 11:41 pm
by jmbish87
The simplest way to work out that this guy is lying:

Compare Kawhi's response to the Spurs management of his injury (demanded a trade) to Kawhi's response to the Clippers management of his injury (absolute silence).

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:25 am
by Pickled Prunes
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
L.O.L. Sure. I'm sure this is the very first conversation he's had with LA aobut it, and he didn't threaten this for months. Just because you just found out about this now doesn't mean that's when this started.

Sure, at one time it may have been a failed attempt at extortion... but now it's a guy just complaining about things that may or may not have happen. What we do know is... if these things did actually happen, this guy was fully on board with it at the time.


Well yeah. This is him following through on his threat when they wouldn't pay him behind the scenes.

Maybe... or maybe he was wrongly terminated, thus the "wrongful termination" suit.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 5:19 pm
by Effigy
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:Sure, at one time it may have been a failed attempt at extortion... but now it's a guy just complaining about things that may or may not have happen. What we do know is... if these things did actually happen, this guy was fully on board with it at the time.


Well yeah. This is him following through on his threat when they wouldn't pay him behind the scenes.

Maybe... or maybe he was wrongly terminated, thus the "wrongful termination" suit.


no because then he wouldn't bring up the tampering. The tampering has nothing to do with being terminated. He's bringing up the tampering because he tried to blackmail the team with that and they refused to pay him.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 9:00 pm
by Pickled Prunes
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
Well yeah. This is him following through on his threat when they wouldn't pay him behind the scenes.

Maybe... or maybe he was wrongly terminated, thus the "wrongful termination" suit.


no because then he wouldn't bring up the tampering. The tampering has nothing to do with being terminated. He's bringing up the tampering because he tried to blackmail the team with that and they refused to pay him.

Image

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:04 pm
by Effigy
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:Maybe... or maybe he was wrongly terminated, thus the "wrongful termination" suit.


no because then he wouldn't bring up the tampering. The tampering has nothing to do with being terminated. He's bringing up the tampering because he tried to blackmail the team with that and they refused to pay him.

Image


You seem a little confused. We're not in a court of law. This is a message board. We're allowed to draw reasonable conclusions based on facts and likelihood. Obviously some people don't like that when they've lost the argument though. It's cool if you believe that he never communicated with the Clippers before this. You can have your own opinions.

Re: Former Staffer Sues Clippers Alleging Wrongful Termination Over Kawhi Leonard Health Concerns

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 10:57 pm
by Pickled Prunes
Effigy wrote:
Pickled Prunes wrote:
Effigy wrote:
no because then he wouldn't bring up the tampering. The tampering has nothing to do with being terminated. He's bringing up the tampering because he tried to blackmail the team with that and they refused to pay him.

Image


You seem a little confused. We're not in a court of law. This is a message board. We're allowed to draw reasonable conclusions based on facts and likelihood. Obviously some people don't like that when they've lost the argument though. It's cool if you believe that he never communicated with the Clippers before this. You can have your own opinions.

Facts? My entire argument is that we don't have any facts. I'm not claiming to "know" anything; I am suggesting that neither of us know anything.... and that one of us is jumping to conclusions.

If my argument is that I don't know anything and you tell me I lost the argument... does that mean I actually do know something? :lol: