Who is Leonard s uncle who is a non-professional agent who messes up the league?

TA/Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov

Before Dennis Robertson presented a "privileges list" to three NBA teams that ultimately triggered a league investigation, he wrote a 90-page book "Business and Dining Etiquette" written by his wife Cheryl Walker-Roberson.

When readers learn how to attend a professional dinner such as how tableware is placed on the dining table, how to properly handle napkins, scoop soup, and spread rolls, Robertson explains the importance of it.

In this 2017 book, Robertson writes that relationships are built on connections. The initial impression can affect a person's ability to succeed.

He wrote in the opening chapter:

"It is almost impossible to attract attention and stand out from the crowd."

"In all forms of relationships, your communication style, whether verbal or nonverbal, determines how others view you."

"In every game, there are rules."

Two years later, when the Los Angeles Lakers tried to sign Robertson's nephew Kawhi Leonard, they firmly believed that the uncle in charge of Leonard's negotiations had either never heard of any rules in the NBA or simply decided that those rules had nothing to do with him.

And the impression he left was not very good.

According to TA's previous report, Leonard not only wants a maximum salary contract. He also wants unlimited use of private jets, a house, and an off-site income guarantee from endorsements. He even wanted a portion of the team's shares, just like the Lakers gave Magic Johnson 25 years ago, when Johnson was forced to retire early due to HIV infection.

In the NBA's view, all these requirements are acts of evading the salary cap, so the team refused.

But Robertson still made these requests again and again.

The Lakers repeatedly told Robertson that his request violated the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Team sources said that outside of the negotiations, the Lakers were privately amused by Robertson's bold moves. When facing Robertson, team president Jenny Buss emphasized the absurdity of these requirements, and even told him that he should try to let other teams write these conditions into the contract.

Finally, Leonard chose to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, and the Clippers met another requirement to get his partner Paul George through a deal. That 2019 negotiation sparked an NBA investigation, but the league finally found that there was no evidence to support the Clippers' claim that any of Robertson's improper demands were met.

Now, with the Clippers, team owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard himself falling into an investigation, past negotiations between Robertson and Leonard have surfaced again. The core of the investigation is whether the Clippers violated the league's salary cap rules. As Pablo Torre first reported on his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out earlier this month, the investigation stems from an undisclosed endorsement contract: a partnership between Leonard and Aspiration, a close relationship with the Clippers and Ballmer, a deal that could bring nearly $50 million in revenue to Leonard.

Leonard has never publicly promoted Aspiration. Robertson also did not respond to multiple interview requests for this report. The Clippers denied any misconduct and said they would not comment through a spokesperson.

TA interviewed 17 different sources, including league and team staff, agents, and individuals who have had direct deals with Robertson and Leonard. The sources were allowed to be anonymous so that they could speak publicly about the sensitive situation the league is investigating.

It turns out that in 2019, Robertson made these requests more than the Lakers. League sources confirmed that Robertson had also made the same treatment request to the Toronto Raptors, who Leonard played for at the time, and the Clippers also heard these requests.

An executive involved in the negotiation said: "There was no boundary at the beginning, and there was no boundary at the end. His request was endless. ... This was not a natural requirement, but more like a mentality of daring to put forward wild conditions."

Balmer and the Clippers repeatedly denied any misconduct and said they were cooperating with the investigation led by Walker Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Although the firm's investigation focused mainly on whether the Clippers and Ballmer conspired with Aspiration to evade the salary cap, the scope of the investigation was not limited to the deal, according to a source familiar with the process. If new information emerges, the firm can also review allegations or other potential misconduct in 2019.

In the case of Robertson, whether the Clippers succumbed to his ill-fair request would be the core of the league's findings. To some extent, his reputation in the NBA will also be tested. Some sources believe that it is not new to players' representatives' demands beyond the scope of collective bargaining agreements, and it is not unique to Robertson.

A former general manager who knows Robertson said: "Once he enters the formal negotiation stage, he always makes some demands. I think this happens often."

However, according to several executives and agents familiar with Robertson's techniques, what sets him apart from other representatives or families who are accustomed to bypassing alliance rules is the extreme degree of his requirements. As one executive described it, it was like on a 35-mile speed limit, someone drove up to 75 miles, while others were just speeding around 10 miles.

A agent said: "No one restricted him. … He was operating completely indiscriminately.. ”

The lack of constraints made Robertson, Leonard and the Clippers the core of an NBA investigation that could turn into a huge scandal.

Several sources interviewed described Robertson as a representative who was determined to seek benefits for his nephew. He had almost no psychological burden to demand various special treatments from big to small. There was a mixed response to his style, some expressed disgust with him, some understood his motivations, and even marveled at his rare boldness.

A former team employee said: "I think it's quite interesting. I appreciate his fighting spirit: ‘He is my nephew, he is the team leader, we want everything. ’” One executive said that if Robertson had a fancy to a team-provided sweatshirt on the training ground, he would immediately make up his mind to get one on the same day. This persistence is exactly the same as his way of asking for additional benefits in the negotiations in 2019. Sources from three teams Leonard played for, in addition to the Clippers and the Raptors, the San Antonio Spurs, who played for from 2011 to 2018, said they had encountered a similar situation: Robertson kept making various requests of all sizes.

An executive said: “There is no difference between what he needs and what he wants. ”

Some small requirements, such as complaints about tickets and catering, are actually very common amongst the people around star players, and teams usually meet these requirements, especially players like Leonard.

A former general manager said of Robertson: "He is a experienced, smart, and strong." He would make all kinds of demands, he would do something; I don't think he was as maverick as he is portrayed now. If he was an insider, a traditional agent, everyone would say, ‘The agent always did this. ’But what really sets him apart is his identity framework. And, many people don't like this. ”

Of course, the key point is that Robertson is not a registered agent, and he is also different from the uncle of any other NBA player. He is "Uncle Dennis", a unique person who can cause reactions without a last name.

A general manager said of the latest investigation that may involve salary cap avoidance: "He is himself." I really don't want to discuss this path in depth. ”

Another team executive concluded: “If you are a person who is good at seizing opportunities, opportunities are everywhere in the NBA. ”

However, within the NBA, some people defending Robertson believe that his behavior is more about protecting his nephew's interests than naked greed. After all, he was a banker and was very clear about the operating rules of the supply and demand relationship. Just like last summer, when Leonard was training for the American men's basketball team at the Paris Olympics, sources revealed that there was never a dispute with Robertson about Leonard and the injuries that ultimately forced him to withdraw from the national team.

A former general manager said: "This is tricky because he is not your traditional agent. In the NBA, there are many trades that have people making various demands. Someone wants something that is not completely compliant; 99% of the time, you'll say no. If you say 'yes', the responsibility is not on the person who makes the request. ”

However, a team source who had negotiated directly with Robertson said the key to the problem was not the demands themselves, but that he did not stop making them at all.

Before becoming the most well-known player relative in the NBA, Dennis Robertson himself was a basketball player, who went all the way from Dorsey High School in Los Angeles to community college and eventually into Idaho College, a small liberal arts college less than 30 miles from Boise.

There, he became the team's best defensive player and year Best Athlete. After playing half of professional basketball for a short time, Robertson, who majored in business administration, moved into the finance industry. According to his LinkedIn page, he worked in banking for more than 30 years, including more than 22 years of experience at JPMorgan Chase until he left in 2009 to become vice president and retail sales manager at Carver Federal Savings Bank. His LinkedIn page reads: “During his tenure in banking, he was recognized for his increasing sense of responsibility in all operational functions related to policy and procedures, management, leadership development and customer service. ”

When Robertson transferred to Carver, his nephew began his journey to fame at San Diego State University. His defensive ability, offensive potential and legendary diligence made the former California top high school player a NCAA national second-team star in his sophomore season.

Robertson took on a more important role in Leonard's life after Leonard's father Mark was murdered in 2008 in a car wash in Compton, California. The case has not been solved. Leonard was only 16 years old at the time of the shooting. Robertson assisted his sister Jimmy to raise her son.

Leonard played a more important role in Leonard's life in 2014. Express-News said: “After my dad passed away, there were not many men in the family, and he was a great person to talk about what I had experienced at my age. He had experienced life and was a good person worth talking about. ”

In the same year, Leonard unexpectedly won the NBA Finals MVP after helping the Spurs limit LeBron James and the Miami Heat in just five games. Although surrounded by future Hall of Fame players and led by legendary coach Popovich, at the most critical moment, Leonard won the highest personal honor.

Despite his low-key personality, Leonard's performance speaks enough. The spotlight began to shine on him, and off-field business opportunities followed. It was at this point that Robertson showed greater interest in Leonard's market potential and began to increase his efforts in this regard. "If the sponsor wants me to leave the training hall, it must be a lot of money," Leonard told San Antonio Express-News in September 2014. A 2018 report by Express-News details how Robertson's growing influence led to the breakdown of Leonard's relationship with the Spurs.

's contract extension with Jordan was not reached, and according to sources, Robertson's dissatisfaction played a role in the breakdown of the partnership. Leonard then signed a more lucrative contract with New Balance.

Robertson also deeply involved in communication between Leonard and the Spurs medical team, the source of the most tense relationship between the rising star and the team. At that time, Leonard won the NBA Best Defensive Player Award for two consecutive years and was considered the league's top all-rounder. For Leonard's mysterious quadriceps injury, the division of only 9 games in 2018 accelerated his trade request, and the Spurs eventually traded Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.

At this point, the Spurs have always been known for their ability to maintain high levels of relationships with stars in a team-first, selfless culture, founded by Popovich and then general manager Buford. Leonard is widely regarded as the next top player and an elite player who can start the next stage of the championship. But at the end of the season, there were major problems in the communication between the two sides, and the uncertainty surrounding their health and playing ability caused friction, which eventually led to the two sides parting ways.

Robertson told Yahoo Sports in 2019: "I think the problem comes down to a lack of trust. They don't believe that Leonard cannot play, which has caused us to distrust them and makes them doubt us. Any time the player says he cannot play, you should believe him. Why did Leonard suddenly stop playing? He is a competitor."

"Sometimes, you will encounter doctors from these teams telling you what you can and can't do, and Leonard was in a bad pain at the time and couldn't play at all. This was a serious problem. They didn't believe him, and the relationship could not be restored afterwards, so we decided to move forward."

By the time Leonard came to Toronto, he had a different view of the NBA experience. A man who was close to him at the time described Leonard's view: "No one will take care of you except yourself."

Over time, this mentality also extended to off-field affairs.

The man continued, "I don't think it's any different when you ask, you'll never know if you don't ask. And the more you ask, the more you get used to it. Why not take advantage of this opportunity when all of these people are trying to satisfy you?"

If this was what Leonard did at the beginning of his first season in Toronto, the next experience would only make him bolder. With the 2019 free agent market approaching, the Raptors limit Leonard to only 60 games in the regular season and work with the star and his uncle to make his life in Toronto as comfortable as possible. Robertson's influence was everywhere at the time, and one source said he "would micromanage everything" without any boundaries.

The source said: "He had such a reputation when he came to Toronto, and he really did not disappoint it."

Then, Leonard rewarded the team with one of the most famous goals of the Raptors, a winning goal against the Philadelphia 76ers. The basketball rebounded countless times on the rim before falling into the net and winning the NBA championship. He also won the Finals MVP for the second time, joining LeBron James and Jabbar, becoming one of the few players in league history to win that honor for multiple teams.

Leonard's season ended with a championship parade on the streets of Toronto, sitting on a convertible bus with a cigar on his mouth and an NBA championship trophy in his hand. He wore a shirt with the words “Board man gets paid”, his motto from high school and college, which he repeated while playing the board with the ball.

Another person who enjoys the championship atmosphere on the championship bus is the person responsible for ensuring that the "board man is paid": Uncle Dennis.

Technically, Dennis Robertson is not a registered broker. He has been involved in this field and has communicated with other brokers on establishing partnerships, according to alliance sources. However, the real agent who represents Leonard is Mickey Frankel. (According to RealGM, Leonard is one of Frankel's two active NBA clients, the other being Indiana Pacers' substitute Tony Bradley.)

Robertson's official position is "President of the Elite Athlete Division" of Protocol International, a company he runs with his wife. This is also the publishing company for which he wrote the foreword for the table etiquette books.

The company has issued a press release to celebrate the appointment of Clippers assistant coach Jeremy Castlebury as head coach of the "San Diego Clippers G League Summer League Team". Castlebury is one of Leonard's closest friends since college and has been an assistant coach for Leonard's team since 2015.

The press release was posted on the Ins page of Protocol International, referring to Robertson as "Uncle Dennis".

For better or worse, the league is filled with people who are not registered agents but still handle matters for players. These people will make various needs: tickets, clothing, meals, travel arrangements and special access.

According to people familiar with the situation, Robertson also had the same demand.

A source said: "Generally speaking, the behavior of such agents, managers, friends is normal, they all want free things... For him, there is no small thing that cannot be asked for.. ”

Robertson's intervention in Leonard's summer 2019 had a far more impact than usual. If the latter chose to renew his contract with the Toronto Raptors, the Raptors could only offer a contract of $190 million for up to five years, while other teams chasing him were limited to $141 million for four years. So, Uncle Dennis Robertson appeared.

The league investigated the deals between Leonard and those teams chasing him in the free agent market, but found no evidence that the luxury demand was actually met. However, it was made clear at the time that the investigation would restart if the contrary evidence appeared later. Just as the NBA President Xiao Hua said privately that salary cap evasion was seen as the top taboo in the league and would be dealt with accordingly if confirmed.

Monthly later, just as Leonard was preparing to start his first training camp with the Clippers in September 2019, Xiao Hua told team owners at the New York conference that he would modify some of the free agent rules and strengthen those he thought were often overlooked. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) was also asked to help solve the problem.

union officials once again emphasized the broker rules to their more than 400 players, reminding them that only certified agents have the right to negotiate directly with the team. A well-known agent at the time said: "It's all because of Dennis." He doesn't understand the rules. ”

A boss at that time also said: “All this (discussion in the whole league) is because of Uncle Dennis. ”

In addition to the 2019 contact investigation, the Clippers face multiple lawsuits, including a lawsuit against Johnny Wilkes, a former teammate from Robertson High School, and a lawsuit against former Clippers trainer Randy Sheldon. Wilkes’ lawsuit was dismissed in 2022 for failing to provide supporting evidence.

According to Sheldon's legal documents, the trainer who worked with Leonard said that Robertson insisted on negotiating with the team on his behalf.

In the legal documents, Sheldon claimed that he "either agree to pay 10% of Mr Robertson's total Clippers' compensation or Mr Robertson would not allow the plaintiff to join the team or sign a new contract. This act of coercion, coupled with Robertson's extensive control over the Clippers through his relationship with Leonard, has raised significant concerns about compulsive and undue effects. ”

According to several league insiders who know about such arrangements, the standard commission on the contract is usually 4%. Sheldon's lawsuit is still advancing in legal proceedings.

The details of Robertson being the one who ensures Leonard receives endorsement fees from Aspiration are particularly credible for those who have worked with him.

A typical Dennis style is said by a general manager. ”

Last season, Leonard sat in front of a golden curtain, wearing a black sportswear with "KL2", the name appeared on the LLC of the Aspiration Investigation Center. His face was filled with a bright smile, celebrating Robertson's acceptance of the Idaho Academy President's Medal.

Leonard said to his uncle in a video recorded last February: "Congratulations on winning the Idaho Academy President's Medal, and enjoy this moment, you deserve it." ”

The pusher behind the NBA superstar got his own moment in the center of the court. After Leonard's video message was played, the former Idaho Academy star received a framed No. 32 jersey. He thanked his teammates and brought them to the court. He talked about his wife, expressed his gratitude to the school, the college community, and his former coach, and he was proud of the achievement from his expression.

Robertson looked very calm with the microphone in his hand, leading a small group of fans to shout the slogan he hoped to spread in downtown Boise.

"Idaho Academy... Come on, Coyotes! Robertson has maintained his presence in the school that started his career in banking and sports management and won a seat on the Idaho College Board in 2021. A press release announcing his appointment reads: “Denis brings his high energy, competitive spirit, affinity leadership and a proven track record of success. "Doug Brigham, one of the former teammates of the Idaho College basketball team and the current president and CEO, said: "I have known Dennis since I was a college student. He has always been a good friend of mine and an outstanding supporter of our students. He has always devoted his time very generously to communicate with students and provide practical advice." ”

On the night of this honor, Robertson seemed modest and calm, and his influence at his alma mater was further formally recognized.

And in the NBA circle, how Robertson will be remembered and not written down, and it is likely that there will never be a conclusion.

Is all this really out of support for the family? An uncle strives to win as much reward as possible for this talented player, and the silence of the player may give the team a chance to take advantage of him? Or is Robertson himself greedy? Is it intentionally ignore or disrespect the league process? Or is he just a capitalist, a successful banker, with wealth and status so that he can negotiate with superiority?

A league executive said: "Part of the responsibility is Leonard, who allows Robertson to operate this way. There is a vacuum here. The lack of communication creates this gap, and Robertson fills it. ”

Another alliance source who has worked with Leonard said: “They never clashed with each other, and in my opinion, they are one. But Uncle Dennis doesn't mind being that bad guy. ”

At the end of the day, this distinction is almost irrelevant. As Robertson himself said, people’s reaction to you is the most important.

He wrote in his wife’s book: “In simple terms, impressions are important, and you only have a few seconds to leave your mark.” ”