A former strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Clippers has sued the team and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, alleging wrongful termination citing in part that he was fired for raising concerns about the management of Kawhi Leonard’s health and injuries.
Plaintiff Randy Shelton, who joined the franchise on July 1, 2019 as a strength and conditioning coach after serving in a similar role at San Diego State University, filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Shelton, who was at SDSU when Leonard played college basketball there, claimed in the lawsuit that he was part of a multiyear effort to recruit Leonard, which “leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution” with respect to potential tampering violations.
Shelton alleged in his lawsuit that the Clippers first contacted him in 2017 after Leonard, who was then under contract to the San Antonio Spurs, suffered a major ankle injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals. Shelton maintained that while Leonard was under contract with the Spurs that a Clippers executive contacted him to seek “private health information” about Leonard and expressed the need for “discretion.”
After the 2017 season, while Leonard remained under contract with the Spurs, Shelton said a Clippers executive contacted him to seek “private health information” about Leonard and expressed the need for “discretion.” The two men spoke more than a dozen times on the phone and had at least seven meetings, according to the lawsuit, as the Clippers allegedly sought to learn more about Leonard’s contractual obligations with the Spurs as well as his medical situation.
When Leonard left the Spurs In 2018, the Clippers, along with the Toronto Raptors, were one of the teams that sought his services. Leonard was eventually traded to the Raptors. He became an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season.
The plaintiff maintained that in conversations with the Clippers executive, they “discussed bringing (him) into the Clippers’ organization as a strength and conditioning coach, given the personal relationship and trust that Leonard had in Shelton.”
Further, Shelton claimed that he was “promised a bright future with the Clippers.” At the time, he alleged, he “had a thriving business in San Diego” and a “respected position with San Diego State.”
The plaintiff was ultimately hired by the Clippers in July 2019. But soon after joining the team, Shelton said his role was diminished, alleging that he was excluded from team meetings and that information about Leonard’s health was shielded from him.
Two years later, Leonard began having well-chronicled knee issues that required various surgeries. Shelton alleged that the team had “mishandled” Leonard, citing a “return-to-play protocol (that was) mind-blowing” and a “disregard for his recovery process (which was) unacceptable.”
Shelton’s employment was terminated, reportedly without cause, in July 2023.
The Clippers were quick to issue a statement to the media:
“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.”
