Jerry West Appears to Rip Lakers in Voicemail About Kawhi Leonard Recruitment

Johnny Wilkes, who filed a lawsuit saying he is owed money for the role he played in getting Kawhi Leonard to sign with the Clippers, provided TMZ Sports with a voicemail on Friday from July 1, 2019, that he says was from Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Clippers executive board member Jerry West.

In the voicemail, the man Wilkes says is West appears to acknowledge him for his help in the recruitment and calls the Los Angeles Lakers a "s--t show":

"Hey there, this is Jerry calling. I really want to thank you a lot for trying to help. I heard this morning that everyone over in the Lakers camp thinks they're gonna get him.

"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."

Per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Wilkes has said that he is close with Leonard and best friends with Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson.

In his lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Wilkes alleges that the Clippers and West owe him $2.5 million as part of an oral agreement they made to compensate him for his help in getting Kawhi to sign with the team.

Later in the voicemail, the man alleged to be West added: "I will keep you apprised of what's going on. But, I do want to get together with you privately and would love to take you to dinner and even Sam if he's around. So I can at least pay my respects to you guys for being so generous and helpful. Take care, talk to you sometime soon. Bye-bye."

TMZ Sports reported that the "Sam" the person on the voicemail was referring to was Sam Watson, who Wilkes said also aided in getting Leonard to the Clippers.

West has denied any wrongdoing, and the Clippers blasted Wilkes' lawsuit in a recent statement: "The lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes is replete with inaccuracies and the allegations are baseless. The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA in its investigation, which is standard when these types of allegations are made. They are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false."

The Clippers transformed their franchise into a championship contender last offseason when they signed Leonard to a three-year, $103.14 million contract and acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although they were eliminated when they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs, they were the second-best team in the Western Conference during the 2019-20 regular season behind the Lakers.

With the Clippers returning almost entirely the same roster from last season, they figure to be contenders again in 2020-21.

If West was indeed the man in the voicemail, it is notable due to his deeply rooted ties to the Lakers organization.

West spent his entire 14-year NBA playing career in the 1960s and 1970s with the Lakers. He was named an All-Star 14 times and won a championship and an NBA Finals MVP award during that time.

He later coached the Lakers from 1976-79 and was a key part of their front office for decades, winning six NBA titles, and then two more after joining the Golden State Warriors.

The NBA is now investigating West, who made the move to the Clippers in 2017, or the Clippers acted improperly in the pursuit and signing of Leonard.