"For him to cause all the trouble that he's caused for this organization and to walk away with nothing more than having to surrender $700,000 worth of restitution is a crime," Smith said on First Take."Kawhi Leonard … he's a gangster."The NBA dropped the hammer on the Clippers with the most brutal penalty in league history: a $30 million fine, five lost first-round picks, and a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer.LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS FINALLY GIVE UP ON KAWHI LEONARD, SEND FORMER FINALS MVP BACK TO TORONTO RAPTORSInvestigators blew the lid off a shady scheme using sponsors like Aspiration and Daktronics to route millions in under-the-table cash to Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Robertson.
The mess even triggered federal and SEC probes, plus a five-year NBA ban for Robertson.Stephen A.Smith speaks on stage as he and Christopher Russo host SiriusXM shows live from Fanatics Fest at Javits Center on July 17, 2026, in New York City.
(Getty Images for SiriusXM)Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks toward the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Inglewood, Calif., on May 1, 2025.(AP Photo/Mark J.
Terrill, file)Yet Leonard got off with a lousy $700,000 fine, zero suspension, and a ticket straight back to Toronto.CLIPPERS FACE FEDERAL CRIMINAL PROBE AFTER NBA PUNISHES TEAM OVER KAWHI LEONARD DEALSSmith spelled out how Leonard let management take the bullet while he skated away untouched."He broke the rules, got caught, pointed the finger at somebody else, threw the organization under the bus, got his money and left the country," Smith said."I mean, [expletive], how much better can it get than that?"SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 06: ESPN reporter and analyst Stephen A.
Smith is seen on the set of "First Take" on February 06, 2026 in San Francisco, Calif.(Photo by Aaron M.
Sprecher/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Despite federal and SEC probes into the illicit side deals, the NBA let Leonard walk with a $700,000 rest...