As if the Clippers had no problems in sports, the franchise will also have to face obstacles in the judicial field. As reported by Baxter Holmes and Ramona Shelburne, journalists from ESPNa former employee has sued the Angelenos for wrongful termination, alleging that he was fired, in part, for continually showing concern about the way Kawhi Leonard‘s health was being managed.
This worker, named Randy Shelton, came to the team in 2019, an addition that, he says, came as a way to attract Kawhi to the team, since he had already worked with him when he was a teenager and they had maintained a close relationship since then. In fact, he acknowledges that the franchise was in contact for a long time to try to recruit the forward, with whom he also claims that anti-trust rules were violated. tampering.
However, the real problems began when Leonard suffered an injury to his right knee in the 2021 playoffs, after which Shelton stated that he would need a 730-day recovery and rehabilitation period that the franchise defined as “unacceptable.” In this way, Kawhi returned to action 493 days later, but after playing just two games he began to suffer from inflammation that caused him to be sidelined again and miss a total of 12 games. And as soon as he returned again, he suffered an ankle injury in the third game and had to sideline once again.
The player has been marked by his continuous physical problems since then, and Shelton believes that it is because the franchise has prioritized his production on the court over his proper recovery. But protesting about it only got him fired during the summer of 2023.
The Clippers deny it
The franchise, for its part, has assured that these statements are unfounded, therefore not validating the accusation: “After analyzing Sheldon’s protests, it was concluded that they were not founded. Then, we fulfill what is established in your employment contract and pay you in full. “This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to disrupt the Clippers based on accusations that he himself should know are false.”
(Cover photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
