Uncle Dennis never called back. Never defended himself. Never even bothered to deny any of the accusations that would eventually lead to Wednesday’s stunning NBA ruling against the LA Clippers in this landmark salary cap circumvention case.It was late winter 2019, some six months after Kawhi Leonard chose to sign with the Clippers and left the rival Lakers quite peeved in the process. The choice itself wasn’t the issue for the Lakers, who had hoped to pair him with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but saw him choose the other Los Angeles team instead. It was the fact that Uncle Dennis — Leonard’s uncle and representative at the time, Dennis Robertson — had spent so much of the free agency process making improper requests for money outside of his nephew’s player salary that they grew quite suspicious of the motives behind the choice.As The Athletic revealed at the time, back when Robertson opted on several occasions not to return those calls and address the growing suspicions that surrounded him, he had requested a number of items that were not permissible by league rules during discussions with the Lakers and the Toronto Raptors team for which Leonard had previously played. A small percentage of team ownership. A private plane that would be available at all times. A house. Last but most certainly not least, Robertson had asked for a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money that could be expected if Leonard signed with their respective team.The Kawhi Saga: What the NBA's investigation into the Clippers revealedMike Vorkunov and Jeshua KiddEven in this NBA world where superstar perks are an accepted part of the program, the audaciousness of these asks was deemed extraordinary by several sources who were part of the process. But the unanswered question — the one that journalist Pablo Torre explored on his Pulitzer-prize winning podcast and which led to the league’s investigation that lasted one day shy of a year — was whether the Clippers had been complicit in this alleged basketball crime.The league’s long-awaited answer is a crushing blow to the Clippers, who have been vehement in their denials since the beginning and didn’t waver when they responded to the ruling by, in essence, screaming “See you in court!” The league, meanwhile, said in no uncertain terms that it expects these charges (and maybe more down the line) to stick.“The NBA and the NBPA have entered into an agreement confirming these penalties are final and binding on all parties,” the release read. “Wachtell Lipton (the firm that conducted the investigation) continues to receive information relevant to the investigation, and the league will consider further action as appropriate.”The NBA players union’s decision to support the league’s ruling is quite notable, as it takes the arbitration option off the table for the Clippers. And barring a (highly unlikely) change by way of the court system, this is the price the Clippers will pay for what is inarguably one of the worst player partnerships in the history of the game.