Who is Johnny Wilkes? NBA launches probe on Jerry West and LA Clippers for 'illegal' deal signing Kawhi Leonard
In what comes as a startling piece of news, the NBA has launched an investigation on the allegations around Jerry West and the Los Angeles Clippers acquiring their star player, Kawhi Leonard. This update is after TMZ reported the allegations regarding Kawhi's addition to the Clippers after he became a free agent in 2019. West had reportedly promised Johnny Wilkes, the president of Inthepaint Academy, a sum of $2.5 million for helping the Clippers land the former Raptors player.
The site added that Wilkes filed a lawsuit on the basis of a breach of contract. TMZ said he had met West on April 10, 2019, at the Staples Center and informed the Clippers' board that he had close ties to Kawhi and his uncle, Dennis Robertson. Soon after, West reached out for help in signing up Kawhi for the Clippers. Wilkes said he would get the player to join the side if he was paid the money and a deal was made.
If these allegations indeed turn out to be true, the NBA policy would be violated and West could face disciplinary action. West, on his part, denied "engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard," according to TMZ's report.
Who is Johnny Wilkes?
Johnny Wilkes is the president of inthepaint Academy. The company's Facebook page describes it as a non-profit organization stating, "ITP for Pure Competition Academy is a non-profit organization wholly dedicated to the inner city, 7-17 years and college-bound athletes of Los Angeles and surrounding areas".
Wilkes, according to TMZ also said that West had agreed to give Robertson a home in Southern California and a travel expense account for help securing Kawhi. Wilkes also added he was never paid his money. He also claimed that he had told West to acquire Paul George first before zeroing-in on Kawhi.
According to ESPN, "The lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes is replete with inaccuracies and the allegations are baseless," the Clippers said in a statement. "The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA in its investigation, which is standard when these types of allegations are made. They are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false."