In the present day, the LA Clippers' franchise superstar is at the pinnacle of allegations centered around a no-show contract with the tree company, Aspiration. According to Pablo Torre, Leonard had a $28 million deal with the company, yet has not been seen promoting them in any way, shape, or form.
This has led to the concept of a no-show deal, and earlier today, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who should typically be informed of external deals or have some form of file on NBA players receiving millions from sponsorships, did not have a clue that Leonard was supposedly pocketing millions.
On the contrary, Leonard has been chiefly seen doing New Balance commercials with a signature shoe line associated with them. Had he done something so simple, such as a social media post, the drama he is currently in would have been avoided entirely.
All Leonard had to do was post about Aspiration once in a blue moon
If the allegations Pablo Torre hinted at last Wednesday are factual, Kawhi Leonard clearly had a goal of making a profit without using his name or having to do any work. This was essentially a seamless profit for him, which is where the superstar made a wrong turn.
What hurts his case is a story that was recently published by Bruce Arthur, discussing what was wanted from Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, by the Toronto Raptors in 2019. A 'no-show' deal was in Arthur's details, and this now seems familiar, with the current claims against the two-time champion.
To avoid situations like this, athletes are encouraged to rep their brands through the sponsorships they are under, or use social media as a platform to demonstrate to their fans the deals they have landed off the court.
Leonard has done so perfectly with New Balance, and based on what was said by Chris Mannix, a senior writer seen on Sports Illustrated, all he had to do was make an annual post on X(formerly Twitter).
This seems effortless, even though Leonard is not seen using social media like the rest of his colleagues. He could have simply gone out of his way, but because he did not, the NBA is forced to investigate into actions that occurred in secrecy.
From here on out, much is unknown, and the consequences are still in the air. However, every day, news is being revealed, and surely there is more to come.