Report: NBA investigating Clippers following lawsuit surrounding Kawhi Leonard recruitment

By Kurt HelinDec 17, 2020, 8:13 PM EST

Does Jerry West strike you as the kind of executive who would pay off associates of a star player to help him recruit said player? Would Jerry West do something like that in a way that would leave him exposed to a lawsuit?

A new civil suit filed against West and the Clippers claims exactly that — and the person wants his $2.5 million. The Clippers may be able to blow off the lawsuit, but now the NBA is doing its own investigation of the matter, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times.

The NBA has opened an investigation of the Clippers in the wake of a @TMZ_Sports report earlier this week regarding allegations against Jerry West in the 2019 free agent recruitment of Kawhi Leonard, sources say

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 17, 2020

Jerry West denied the allegations to TMZ Sports.

“I deny engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard.”

The Clippers released a statement also denying the charges.

“The lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes is replete with inaccuracies and the allegations are baseless. The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA in its investigation, which is standard when these types of allegations are made. We are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false.”

During Leonard’s recruitment by the Clippers, Lakers, Raptors, and others in the summer of 2019, there were allegations of salary-cap circumvention and plenty of buzz Leonard’s associates asking for perks. There has been zero evidence the Clippers provided any of those perks and payments, but this new lawsuit stirs up the talk again, and maybe the plaintiff in the civil lawsuit has real evidence. Maybe not. That’s why the NBA is looking into it.

If the NBA finds anything concrete the punishment for the Clippers would be severe. However, this feels more like a money grab than reality. The courts and the league office will get to sort that out.

Donovan says Lonzo Ball’s recovery has ‘been really slow’

By Kurt HelinDec 1, 2022, 6:02 PM EST

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Watching the finger-pointing and heated moments between Bulls’ defenders on Wednesday night as Devin Booker carved them up to the tune of 51 points, one thought was how much they miss Lonzo Ball‘s defense at the point of attack.

Ball had a second surgery on his knee back in September and the team said he would be out at “least a few months.” It’s coming up on a few months, so Donovan gave an update on Ball and his recovery, and the news was not good for Bulls’ fans. Via Rob Schaefer at NBC Sports Chicago:

“It’s been really slow,” Donovan said when asked about Ball’s rehab. “I’m just being honest.”

Donovan added Ball has not necessarily suffered a setback. The Bulls knew this would be an arduous process. But he also noted that Ball is “not even close” to being cleared for contact or on-court work.

Ball had his first knee surgery in January and the expectation was he would be back and 100% by the playoffs. However, Ball’s knee didn’t respond well, and he was eventually ruled out for the season. Things didn’t improve over the summer, which led to the second surgery. How much do they miss him? The Bulls were 22-13 with him last season, and he averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, a game. However, it was his defense that was most crucial.

There is no timeline for his return. Which is not good news for Chicago.

PBT Podcast: Timberwolves without KAT, get Luka some help

By Kurt HelinDec 1, 2022, 1:58 PM EST

Minnesota has stumbled out of the gate this season, and now they will be without Karl-Anthony Towns for around a month with a calf strain. Just how much trouble are the Timberwolves in?

Corey Robinson from NBC Sports and myself discuss that and then get into Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Team USA vs. Team World matchup — does Evan Fournier get the world team in trouble? Who guards whom?

From there, it’s time for Corey’s Jukebox and some New Orleans jazz for Zion Williamson. Some Mavericks’ talk follows that — Dallas has put a big load on the shoulders of Luka Doncic, and while he’s playing like an MVP it’s a long-term concern for the Mavericks and their fans.

You can always watch the video of some of the podcast above, or listen to the entire podcast below, listen and subscribe via iTunes at ApplePodcasts.com/PBTonNBC, subscribe via the fantastic Stitcher app, check us out on Google Play, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

We want your questions for future podcasts, and your comments, so please feel free to email us at PBTpodcast@gmail.com.

LeBron calls out reporters for asking him about Kyrie Irving but not Jerry Jones

By Kurt HelinDec 1, 2022, 12:37 PM EST

Within days of Kyrie Irving being suspended by the Nets in the wake of a Tweet promoting an antisemitic film (and his initial refusal to apologize for it), Irving’s former teammate LeBron James was asked about it. He had to deal with the controversy, saying, “I don’t condone any hate to any kind. To any race.”

At the end of his press conference Wednesday night after the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers, LeBron scolded the assembled press for not asking him about the 1957 photo that surfaced of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones outside North Little Rock High School while white students protested the integration of the school when they had been quick to ask about Irving.

LeBron James questions the media and shares his thoughts on the Jerry Jones 1957 photo. pic.twitter.com/xbW9LyLicQ

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 1, 2022

“When I watched Kyrie talk, and he says, `I know who I am, but I want to keep the same energy when we’re talking about my people and the things they’ve been through,’ and that Jerry Jones photo is one of those moments that our people, Black people, have been through in America. And I feel like as a Black man, as a Black athlete, someone with power and with a platform, when we do something wrong or something that people don’t agree with, it’s on every single tabloid, every single news coverage. It’s on the bottom ticker. It’s asked about every single day.

“But it seems like to me that the whole Jerry Jones situation, the photo, and I know it was years and years ago, and we all make mistakes, I get it. It seems like it’s just been buried under, like, `Oh, it happened. OK. We just move on.’ And I was just kind of disappointed that I haven’t received that question from you guys.”

Analysis: A 1957 photo of Jerry Jones reminds us how recent America’s past ishttps://t.co/rp437vTV9e

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 1, 2022

Irving and LeBron were teammates in Cleveland and won a ring together, there was a direct connection (plus Irving had been linked to the Lakers in trade rumors over the summer).

However, there was a connection between LeBron and the Cowboys as well. LeBron was for many years a very public Cowboys fan (despite growing up in Browns territory). It came up as recently as October, when LeBron was on Instagram Live promoting his HBO show with Maverick Carter “The Shop” and he said he had stopped rooting for the Cowboys in the wake of Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protests, “There’s just a lot of things that were going on when guys were kneeling. Guys were having freedom of speech and wanting to do it in a very peaceful manner…. The organization was like, ‘If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.’ I just didn’t think that was appropriate.”

When asked about the photo, Jones said he was a curious 14-year-old who was watching and didn’t understand the magnitude of the moment or situation.

Watch Russell Westbrook drain two buzzer-beaters against Blazers

By Kurt HelinDec 1, 2022, 12:04 PM EST

The Portland Trail Blazers had to know it was not their night when Russell Westbrook knocked down a buzzer-beating step-back 3-pointer just before the half.

Russ beats the clock on a stepback trey 🚨

📺: (@SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/lhuCO3APrn

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 1, 2022

Westbrook wasn’t done, he had one more buzzer-beater in him at the end of the third.

That's two buzzer beaters from Russ this game for those counting at home. pic.twitter.com/XUywlhlShi

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 1, 2022

Westbrook wasn’t the only guy in the building draining half-courters — for the second-straight game a Laker fan knocked down a half-court shot, this time to win $25,000.

ANOTHER half court shot 🤯@MGMRewards | Big Shot Jackpot pic.twitter.com/4z4X9lBvVd

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 1, 2022

It was a good night all around for the Lakers and their fans at home against the shorthanded Trail Blazers. They got 31 points from LeBron James, plus 27 points and 12 boards from Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves added in 22, and the Lakers took control in the third and cruised in for a needed win.

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