Exposing the "Ka Uncle" - From a banker to a trouble-making machine with infinite greed

This summer, the Yin-Yang contract between Leonard and the Speedboat shocked the alliance inside and outside, and also made people focus more on the main brain "Kao" behind his team. Recently, a famous American media TA wrote an article that deeply explored some of the outrageous operations of Mr. Ka in recent years.

According to TheAthletic, in the summer of 2019, Leonard, who was looking for the next home, not only wanted a maximum salary contract. He also wants unlimited access to private jets, a house, and secure income from the endorsement offsite. He also wants to follow the example of former Magic Johnson and get a part of the team's equity after signing.

These are all considered as evasion of wage cap behavior and have been rejected by various teams. However, Leonard's uncle Dennis Robertson remains firm and makes these demands in negotiations time and time again. The Lakers have repeatedly told Robertson that his request violated the NBA's labor-management agreement. Beyond the negotiations, team sources said the Lakers were ridiculous about Robertson's boldness.

Leonard finally chose to sign with the Los Angeles Speedboats in 2019, and they then obtained star George through a deal, meeting another Leonard request. The 2019 negotiations triggered an NBA investigation, but found no evidence to support the claim that the speedboat meets Robertson's requirements for violations.

The Athletic interviewed 17 different sources, including league and team personnel, agents, and people who have dealt directly with Robertson and Leonard. It turned out that the Lakers were not the only team to receive these requests in 2019. League sources confirmed to TheAthletic that Robertson made the same series of benefits to the Toronto Raptors, the team where Leonard was at the time. The speedboat team heard the same request.

"His request has no starting point, no end point," said an executive involved in the negotiations. "They had a strange expectation, not for granted, but a willingness to make crazy demands. "

"No one restrained him," said another agent in the league. "He acts without restraint. " Several sources interviewed by TheAthletic portrayed Robertson's image: a spokesperson who is dedicated to his nephew, and is willing to demand special treatment in matters of big or small. The outside world responded to his style of conduct in a variety of ways, with some sources disgusted him, while others understood his motivations and expressed surprise at his unusual boldness.

"I find this interesting," said a former team employee. "I appreciate this kind of motivation for him to be my nephew, he is the leader of the team, and we want everything. "

One executive said that if Robertson saw a team hoodie he liked on the training ground, he would get one before the end of the day with the same persistence and determination, just like when he asked the team for additional benefits in those negotiations in 2019. Sources said that the three NBA teams who have played for Leonard have similar experiences in dealing with Robertson, and he keeps making demands of all sizes.

"You can't tell what he needs and what he wants. " said a team executive who was directly informed. Smaller requirements, such as complaints about tickets and meals, are relatively common among those close to stars, and teams almost always meet these requirements, especially for players of Leonard's level.

"He is a sophisticated, smart and radical man," a former general manager said of Robertson. "If he makes a request and acts; I don't think it's an outlier as he's described. If he's an insider, a traditional agent, everyone would say, 'Agents do it often. 'However, it's this framework that makes him look different. And many people don't like it. " However, a team source who once negotiated directly with Robertson said the biggest problem was not making a request, but he asked it endlessly.

Some insiders interviewed by TA believe that it is a matter of course to fight for rights and interests for their families. The fundamental problem is that the team should directly reject their unreasonable requests rather than obey. A former general manager said: "There are many different deals in the NBA and you'll be asked to provide something. People want something that is not in line with the rules; 99% of the time, you'll say no. If you agree, the fault is not the person who makes the request."

Denis Robertson is also a basketball player himself. After playing half of the professional games for a short time, Robertson, who majored in business management, switched to the financial field. According to his LinkedIn profile, Robertson has worked in the banking industry for more than 30 years, including for more than 22 years at JPMorgan Chase before leaving in 2009 to become vice president and retail sales manager at Carver Fed Sales Bank.

When Robertson jumped to Carver Bank, his nephew Leonard began his stardom at San Diego State University, with his defensive strength, offensive potential and legendary professionalism that made the former California high school top player a member of the NCAA's second-team All-American team in his sophomore season.

Robertson played a more important role in Leonard's life after Leonard's father Mark was murdered in Compton in 2008. The case has not been solved so far. Leonard was only 16 years old at the time. Robertson helped his sister Kim to raise his son after the shooting.

"With my father's death, there were not many male elders in the family, and he was a very good person to talk to him about the experiences he had experienced at my age. He was a very good person to talk to. " Leonard told the San Antonio Express in 2014.

In the same year, Leonard unexpectedly won the NBA Finals MVP. Despite Leonard's quiet personality, his performance speaks for itself. The spotlight gets brighter. Off-market business opportunities are beginning to come. That's when Robertson became more interested in Leonard's market value and began to ramp up his efforts in this regard, a source familiar with the family said.

When Leonard joined Toronto, his views on the NBA had changed. Two sources said that Robertson's influence was everywhere at that time, and one source said that everything was "he micromanaged."

Denis Robertson is not a formal registered agent, a phenomenon that is common in the NBA, with many non-licensed agents handling affairs for players. These people also want some benefits, such as tickets, clothes, meals, travel arrangements and other permissions. When they dominate the signing negotiations of players, sometimes they can't stop the car and the Lions speak loudly. In addition to the loopholes in the rules and the condonation of some teams, Leonard also has responsibilities that cannot be washed away.

"This part of the responsibility lies with the small card," said a league executive. "He allowed (Roberson) to work like this. There was a vacuum. The lack of communication created this void, and he filled it. They were one in my opinion. But Uncle Dennis didn't mind being a bad guy. "