The NBA is just a few days into the season and there’s already a potential tampering scandal looming.
Former Clippers strength and conditioning coach Randy Shelton is suing the team and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank alleging wrongful termination.
Shelton dropped a bombshell of claims about the franchise and their star forward Kawhi Leonard. According to the lawsuit, Shelton alleges he helped with recruiting Leonard to the Clippers and that it “leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution”.
Leonard and the trainer go back over a decade, with Shelton being on the staff at San Diego State when Kawhi was with the Aztecs. This old article from the San Diego Tribune helps shed some light on the pair’s relationship.
“Shelton, an SDSU alum, started with Aztecs basketball during Leonard’s two-year college career, and they have remained close. He has served as Leonard’s offseason fitness trainer during his NBA career and become part of the superstar’s tight-knit inner circle.”
Los Angeles reportedly first inquired about Leonard following his devastating injury in the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Shelton claims an executive from the Clippers reached out, enquiring about “private health information” and the two sides spoke over 20 times in person and over the phone.
As part of helping LA land The Klaw, the Clippers reportedly discussed the possibility of “bringing Shelton into the Clippers’ organization as a strength and conditioning coach,” which they in fact did in July 2019.
Alongside the massive tampering accusations, Shelton alleged some concerning practices that he says the Clippers did to rush their superstar back onto the court.
Leonard has been in the limelight recently for his consistent knee injuries, most notably tearing his ACL in 2021. The Clippers felt the 730-day recovery period set by Shelton was “unacceptable.” He returned to the court roughly 430 days after the injury, and his 2022 season was riddled with lower body injuries, including swelling in the same knee and a torn meniscus.
In July 2023, Shelton was let go by the organization, and the Clippers have denied his claims in the lawsuit saying, “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full… This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”
— Written by Jack Connell of The Ross Tucker Podcast
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