Pending reunion with Kawhi rewards Raptors, MLSE for rejecting absurd demands

OPINION Pending reunion with Kawhi Leonard rewards Raptors, MLSE for rejecting absurd demands ANDREW WILLIS PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO Open this photo in gallery: Kawhi Leonard spent parts of his summer in Toronto, including taking in the National Bank Open tennis tournament last month. DAN HAMILTON/REUTERS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Too many pro athletes have an Uncle Dennis in their entourage, a family member or childhood friend who drops the ball after being trusted to take care of business while the player focuses on winning games. Dennis Robertson, basketball star Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and now former business manager, had a well-earned reputation as a hustler in National Basketball Association circles. On Wednesday, as part of sweeping sanctions against the L.A. Clippers, the NBA banned Robertson from engaging with any team, player or employee for five years over his role in the team’s circumvention of salary cap rules essential to league integrity. Long before the hammer dropped, basketball insiders knew Robertson was making outrageous demands from potential employers. The shenanigans played out in 2019, when Leonard hit free agency after winning Finals MVP honours in the Toronto Raptors’ championship run. The Raptors burnished their reputation among NBA players and in business circles by refusing to play the game by Robertson’s rules, then bringing back Leonard, a transcendent talent, to play in Toronto this season. He will join the team once a trade with the Clippers, agreed to in principle in June, is officially processed. NBA waiting for Raptors and Clippers to submit trade for approval For Larry Tanenbaum, chair emeritus at Raptors parent Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, or MLSE, Leonard’s return helps vindicate a career spent trying to win the right way. For Rogers Communications Inc. executive chair Edward Rogers, Leonard’s arrival adds sizzle to a sales pitch, as the telecom titan tries to raise money and pay down debt by selling institutional investors on a minority stake in pro sports assets the company values at $25-billon. Leonard’s face, and legendary series-winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers, will undoubtedly feature in Rogers’ marketing campaign to the world’s largest fund managers. Wednesday’s announcement of penalties against the Clippers, after a year-long investigation by law firm Wachtell, Lipton,…