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Who is Uncle Dennis? What to know about Kawhi Leonard's uncle and advisor
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- Who is Uncle Dennis? What to know about Kawhi Leonard's uncle and advisor
One of the key figures in the Los Angeles Clippers-Kawhi Leonard "no-show" case is a man who has remained relatively unknown — a person commonly referred to as Uncle Dennis.
Dennis Robertson, who is Leonard's uncle and advisor, allegedly acted as a liaison between the Clippers and Aspiration, a now-bankrupt "green" financial services company at the center of the controversy.
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The NBA has contracted a New York law firm to conduct an investigation into claims that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by allegedly facilitating a "no-show" endorsement deal with Leonard through Aspiration.
A message left with Robertson requesting comment was not returned.
Here's everything you need to know about Dennis Robertson and his personal and business relationship with the two-time NBA Finals MVP:
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Who is Uncle Dennis?
Dennis Robertson is Kawhi Leonard 's uncle. He has advised Leonard throughout his career. He has gained the nickname Uncle Dennis after several online publications have referred to him that way.
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In a document published by investigative sports reporter Pablo Torre , Robertson was listed as Leonard's "designated representative."
Robertson, however, does not serve as Leonard's agent; Mitch Frankel operates in that role. Robertson is not a certified player agent.
According to his LinkedIn page , Robertson is listed as the president of the Elite Athlete Division at Protocol International , a business development training consulting firm.
Robertson describes himself as an "award winning Banking Executive with over 30 years of experience." He also cites his "high energy, personable leadership skills, and proven track record of service excellence."
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Robertson is the brother of Leonard's mother, Kim Robertson. According to an article published in the San Antonio Express-News in September 2014, Dennis Robertson stepped up in Kawhi Leonard's life after Leonard's father, Mark Leonard, was murdered in a 2008 shooting at a car wash the family owned in Compton, California.
Kawhi Leonard hugs his mother Kim Robertson after being named NBA Finals MVP when the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA championship on June 15, 2014.
"Our family has always been close," Robertson told the Express-News in 2014. "It didn't change the way I looked at things. I was happy to be there so my sister wouldn't have to go through that process."
The article also described the advisory role that Dennis Robertson held in Leonard's financial thinking. In one anecdote, Robertson described how Leonard asked him whether Leonard should transport his first car, a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, from California to San Antonio after the Spurs acquired his draft rights in 2011.
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Robertson described how others suggested to Leonard that Leonard simply buy a new car, but that he told his nephew that the Malibu was "paid for," leading Leonard taking it to San Antonio and using it during the first years of his NBA career.
"With my dad passing away, there aren't too many men in the family and he's a great guy to just talk to that has been through my experiences at my age," Leonard told the Express-News. "He's just been through life already; good guy to talk to."
What is Dennis Robertson's alleged role in the Aspiration case?
According to multiple reports from investigative sports reporter Pablo Torre, who has published a series of documents in his "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast, Robertson was an apparent liaison between Leonard and the Clippers in the alleged "no-show" endorsement deal.
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Specifically, Robertson's name appears in a contract between Aspiration and KL2 Aspire LLC, a company in which Leonard was a manager. The document mandates that "communication required or permitted under this Agreement" be directed to Robertson, who was also characterized in the document as Leonard's "designated representative."
In a screengrab of a text message that Torre published Thursday, Sept. 18, Robertson allegedly sent a message to Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg, pressuring him to address a delay in the furnishing of a $20 million equity stake.
According to Torre, the "Mike" whom Robertson refers to in the message is former Aspiration chief compliance officer Michael Shuckerow.
"Good morning Joe, hope you had a wonderful weekend," the text message begins. "Just a heads up things are still dragging. Mike has the contract for about 14 days now, haven't heard back.
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"Thanks
"Just keeping you informed."
On Thursday, Aug. 21, co-founder Joseph Sanberg was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, the Department of Justice said. Per the DOJ, Sanberg defrauded investors of more than $248 million.
How else has Uncle Dennis affected Kawhi Leonard's career?
This isn't the first time Robertson's name comes up in a case surrounding Leonard and unauthorized benefits.
According to the Toronto Star , when Leonard became a free agent in July 2019 following his NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honor with the Toronto Raptors , Robertson allegedly demanded the franchise provide Leonard with a $10 million "no-show" endorsement deal, an ownership stake in the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and that the team trade for Paul George .
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The Athletic also reported in December 2019 that the NBA opened an investigation into complaints that Robertson had requested improper benefits during the 2019 offseason, when Leonard was a free agent. The Athletic reported that the NBA found no evidence that the Clippers had furnished any improper benefits.
In that article, The Athletic, citing anonymous sources, said the requests Robertson made included part ownership of the team, the use of a private plane, a house and a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money to be granted if Leonard chose to play for the team. The Athletic reported that Robertson made those requests to both the Lakers and the Raptors.
In a separate matter, outlined in a May 2018 article by ESPN , Robertson was reportedly a source of tension between the Spurs and Leonard. The article cites "several current and former associates and colleagues" who described Robertson as "difficult."
ESPN also reported that "multiple league sources" became worried that Leonard's group had "an ulterior motive to fray the relationship (with the Spurs) and get Leonard traded to a larger market" like Los Angeles , New York, or Philadelphia .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Uncle Dennis? Kawhi Leonard advisor at center of Clippers case
