Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jerry West has been sued by a man claiming he helped recruit Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers and wasn’t paid. Now he’s released an ugly voicemail as proof of his claims.
Any NBA news broken by TMZ is going to be pretty sordid and the current imbroglio with Jerry West, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers certainly fits the bill. West is currently a member of the Clippers’ executive board and was reportedly a big piece of the pitch to bring Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers before last season.
But a man named Kevin Wilkes has filed a lawsuit against West and the Clippers, alleging they agreed to pay him $2.5 million to help land Kawhi, money he never received. The story broke earlier this week but now Wilkes has provided TMZ with a voicemail from 2019 that he says is Jerry West, as confirmation of his claims.
What does this Jerry West voicemail say?
The voice on the recording repeatedly thanks Wilkes for his help but the most salacious detail might be West trashing the “shit s–w” Lakers:
“I just find it hard to believe that he would want to go to that s–t show where he would not even be…wouldn’t even get his name in the paper and he wouldn’t be the face of the franchise that’s for sure. He might be the best player on the team, but hope things are well and again, I really really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
Calling the Lakers a s–t show is serious shade for a guy counted among the franchise’s greatest players ever. In addition to his on-court heroics for the team, West served as coach and general manager for the Lakers in different stints, and his roots with the team are deep.
West and the Clippers have both denied the allegations in the Wilkes’ lawsuit. The NBA is currently investigating.