Why is Kawhi Leonard’s trainer suing Clippers? Closer look at strong claims surfacing as LA franchise faces lawsuit

Kawhi Leonard's personal trainer Randy Shelton is suing the franchise for wrongful termination, according to reports on Thursday. Legal documents gave the NBA community a look at the full scope of the allegations Shelton is hurling at the LA Clippers organization.

As Shelton alleges in a lawsuit filed against the Clippers, he was fired after complaining to team management that Leonard, who he has known and worked with since college, was being subjected to questionable medical treatment on his knee that he considers to be unsafe and illegal.

The team has refuted the claims, issuing a statement to NBA insider Chris Haynes saying that the team investigated Shelton's claims and found no evidence of his allegations. In addition, the team has said that it paid him the remaining amount left on his contract in full.

Despite that, the allegations Shelton has filed in court are serious. He alleges that the Clippers ignored signs that Kawhi Leonard sustained a concussion during the 2022-23 season.

The lawsuit also alleges that Shelton filed a formal complaint with the Clippers in April 2023, writing that the way the team handled Leonard's torn meniscus and injured ACL, which ended his season, was quote-unquote "mind-blowing."

Shelton's letter reads:

"It feels as though the ultimate goal is to buy a championship rather than create a positive and supportive environment that prioritizes the well-being of its employees and players."

All available court documents can be seen in Chris Haynes' post thread below.

Clippers fire back at Kawhi Leonard's trainer's lawsuit, alleging that Shelton is attempting to shake them down

In the lawsuit Randy Shelton filed against the Clippers organization regarding Kawhi Leonard, he alleges that the team had been trying to recruit the former San Antonio star going all the way back to his time with the Raptors.

As the suit states, the team tip-toed the line to avoid a tampering case with the NBA. Despite wanting to acquire Kawhi Leonard for years, once the team was able to land him, they then prevented Shelton from being in the loop when it came to Leonard's recovery after tearing his meniscus and damaging his ACL.

When Shelton wrote the letter to the Clippers organization, alleging that the way it handled Leonard's recovery was "mind-blowing," Clippers exec Lawrence Frank reportedly said the team would open an investigation.

While his complaint and the investigation were supposed to be kept confidential, he says he experienced retaliation as the team kept him out of the loop, and John Meyer, the team's chairman of performance health and wellness, began deleting old texts between him and Shelton.

After he raised this point to HR and the investigation concluded, he was told that there was no evidence to support his claims. Less than a month later, he was fired.

After the report on Thursday, the team released a statement through Chris Haynes:

“Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

Amid the news, the Clippers will be back in action on Saturday, when they face the Denver Nuggets.