NBA investigating Clippers’ recruitment of Leonard

The NBA has opened an investigation into the Clippers days after a lawsuit filed against the team and team consultant Jerry West alleged that West promised a man $2.5 million in exchange for helping the team sign star free agent Kawhi Leonard in 2019, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Thursday.

In a statement to TMZ, which first reported the lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes, a representative for West dismissed the allegations.

Wilkes’ lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleged that West and Wilkes met April 10, 2019, inside Staples Center and spoke on June 28, days before free agency began. During the June phone conversation West asked for Wilkes’ assistance, according to the lawsuit, in which Wilkes is described as “the best friend to Kawhi Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson.”

The lawsuit alleges that

close to July 4, the day before Leonard committed to joining the team following a trade with Oklahoma City that landed star forward Paul George, Wilkes told Robertson, “at the direction of Jerry West and the Clippers,” that Robertson would receive a house in Southern California, a travel expense account and that team owner Steve Ballmer would fund a marketing campaign for Leonard worth $100 million if

Leonard joined the team.

Baseball

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Omar Vizquel said in a statement on Twitter that he cheated on Blanca and apologized for the “pain my indiscretions may have caused,” but he denied ever abusing her.

Soccer

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Hockey

BLACKHAWKS STAY WITH TEAM NAME » The Chicago Blackhawks are going to remain the Blackhawks and there is no sign of a change coming anytime soon.

The team announced in July that they were banning headdresses at home games as part of their pledge to honor the Native American community.

MARK J. TERRILL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, FILE Kawhi Leonard gestures in the second half of the Clippers’ conference semifinal against the Nuggets on Sept. 3.