Kawhi Leonard has been identified as one of the previously undisclosed investors behind Rhode Island FC and its controversial stadium development in Pawtucket.
The discovery comes from a 10-month Target 12 investigation conducted by WPRI in partnership with Pablo Torre Finds Out and investigative outlet Hunterbrook. According to the report, corporate records and other documents connected Leonard and members of his inner circle to investment entities tied to the USL Championship club.
Leonard’s involvement had not previously been disclosed publicly, despite Rhode Island FC’s stadium being built through a public-private partnership involving substantial taxpayer support. The 10,500-seat Centreville Bank Stadium opened in May 2025 as the centerpiece of the broader Tidewater Landing redevelopment project. State officials originally promoted the development as an economic engine that would combine private investment with publicly financed infrastructure and redevelopment assistance.
The investigation reportedly found that Leonard, his uncle Dennis Robertson and his former agent became connected to Rhode Island FC through separate business entities. However, the exact size of Leonard’s stake, how much money he invested and the full terms of the arrangement have not been made public.
The timing has attracted additional attention. Leonard and his associates were reportedly establishing their involvement in the soccer project while dealing with the collapse of Aspiration, the environmental company that had entered into a lucrative endorsement agreement with the Clippers star.
That separate arrangement is already the subject of an NBA investigation. Leonard signed a four-year, $28 million endorsement contract with Aspiration in 2022, and previous reporting raised questions about whether the deal constituted improper additional compensation connected to his Clippers contract. The Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have denied circumventing league rules, while Leonard has not been charged with any crime or formally accused by the NBA of wrongdoing.
There is currently no public evidence that Leonard’s Rhode Island FC investment violated NBA rules or was financed through Aspiration. His ownership stake in a soccer club is not inherently improper, and the new report does not establish that Clippers officials participated in or arranged the investment.
The significance lies instead in the secrecy surrounding the deal. Rhode Island taxpayers helped support a project whose complete investor group was not publicly known, while one of its hidden backers was among the most recognizable athletes in American sports.
The revelation adds another layer to the scrutiny surrounding Leonard’s private business dealings. It does not prove misconduct, but it raises legitimate questions about transparency, the source and structure of his investment and why his involvement in a publicly supported development remained concealed for so long.
