The former Clippers coach is suing the team, saying he was fired for raising concerns about Kawhi Leonard's injuries

A former Los Angeles Clippers coach is suing the team for wrongful termination, claiming he was fired because he raised concerns about Kawhi Leonard's treatment for his injuries.

Randy Shelton claims in a lawsuit that he was “fired after complaining that Kawhi Leonard was subjected to unsafe and illegal treatment for injuries,” Chris Haynes reports.

The Clippers responded with a statement to Haynes denying the claims.

Shelton says he was hired by the Clippers to recruit Leonard as a free agent. His relationship with Leonard dates back to when he worked as a strength and conditioning coach at San Diego State University, where the NBA star played college basketball from 2009 to 2011.

The document goes on to say that Clippers assistant general manager Mark Hughes “began pursuing Leonard through Shelton” while Leonard was still under contract with the Spurs, with the manager allegedly obtaining private health information about Leonard and attempting to use his Find out about contract requirements and your medical situation.

Leonard signed with the Clippers before the 2019-20 season and Shelton was signed at that time. After Leonard suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, he underwent surgery and the team was told the timeline for Leonard's recovery was 730 days.

“Simply put, this recovery plan was unacceptable to the Clippers,” the lawsuit states. Leonard ultimately had to sit out the 2021-22 season while he recovered.

Upon their return, the Clippers agreed to a load management plan that would limit Leonard's minutes and prevent him from playing in consecutive games. But the lawsuit claims The team did not follow this plan when the 2022-23 season began.

When Leonard returned to play less than a month later, he suffered two torn ligaments in his right ankle. Still, the Clippers demanded “productivity” and reportedly withheld information from Shelton and did not consult him about Leonard's prognosis and treatment.

The lawsuit further alleges that Leonard suffered a concussion that was not properly treated and that his workload continued to increase, which included playing in back-to-back games toward the end of the season. Leonard ultimately tore the meniscus in his right knee during the playoffs, but the Clippers reportedly defined the injury as a sprain, even though images showed the tear and additional cartilage damage.

Shelton said he made a formal complaint about following proper injury protocols to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, who responded that the concerns were being investigated. However, Shelton claims that the allegations were deemed unfounded and he was fired without explanation in July 2023.

“We hope our client’s lawsuit will serve as a wake-up call to the Clippers organization that its players are not just dollar values, but people who require appropriate – rather than expedited – health and recovery treatment for their careers and lives afterward said John David, one of Shelton's lawyers, in a statement issued to Haynes and ESPN.

Leonard is currently out for the start of the Clippers' 2024-25 NBA season and is out indefinitely due to right knee inflammation. According to later reports, he is expected to be out for a long period of time. Due to his knee problems, Leonard withdrew from competing with Team USA at the Paris Olympics last summer. In January, he signed a three-year, $152.4 million contract extension.