Kawhi Leonard’s ex-personal trainer, Randy Shelton, has sued the Los Angeles Clippers for wrongful termination, as reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes. Shelton claims he was dismissed after raising concerns about Leonard receiving “unsafe and illegal treatment” for his injuries. In response to Shelton’s allegations, the Clippers issued a statement to Haynes. “We conducted an investigation into Mr. Shelton’s claims, which were found to lack merit. We honored his employment contract and compensated him fully. This lawsuit appears to be a late attempt to extort the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should recognize as false.”
Kawhi Leonard and Randy Shelton first connected at San Diego State, where Leonard played basketball from 2009 to 2011. Leonard joined the Clippers as a free agent before the 2019-20 season and tore his ACL during the second round of the playoffs in 2021. After surgery, he was informed he would require a two-year recovery period. The lawsuit states, “Simply put, this recovery timetable was unacceptable to the Clippers.” During the entire 2021-22 season, the Clippers devised a load management strategy for Leonard, which included not allowing him to play in consecutive games and limiting his minutes when he did play.
However, Shelton claims this plan was ignored once the season began. According to the lawsuit, “Leonard was required to play significant minutes at the start of the season and experienced swelling and inflammation in his knee after the first two games on October 24, 2022.” An MRI showed cartilage damage in his knee, and instead of allowing full recovery, Leonard was treated with biologics to manage the issue temporarily.
The lawsuit also alleges that Leonard sustained ruptured ankle ligaments and a concussion that were not properly treated by the Clippers, and pertinent information about his ankle was withheld from Shelton. Shelton filed a complaint with Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations, who reportedly promised an investigation. Shelton claims his concerns were not addressed, and he was terminated shortly afterward in July 2023. Leonard, who withdrew from the 2024 Paris Olympics to focus on his rehabilitation, is out indefinitely at the start of the 2024-25 season due to knee inflammation and could be sidelined for several weeks.
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