In a humorous exchange, rapper Vince Staples took a swipe at the Los Angeles Clippers during a recent interview, bringing attention to a lawsuit involving the team’s star small forward, Kawhi Leonard. The controversy dates back to September, when Leonard faced allegations of entering into a questionable $28 million endorsement deal with tree-planting company Aspiration. This potential “no-show job” was highlighted in an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, where journalist Pablo Torre discussed documents suggesting Leonard and the Clippers might have engaged in unethical practices to secure his presence on the team.
During a lighthearted segment with Jesse Thom, Staples was asked to suggest a new mascot for the Clippers to replace Chuck the Condor. He proposed, “Right now, I would personally do a tree. It would be a palm tree or red wood or whatever kind of tree that Kawhi’s under investigation for.” He elaborated that embracing the situation would help the team build a brand around the controversy, humorously suggesting that the mascot could also be involved in planting trees.
This isn’t Staples’ first teaser regarding the NBA team. In a previous appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, he reflected on his involvement in the pitching process for Leonard, noting, “They was doing the most, man,” while complimenting the team’s efforts to recruit the star player. Staples suggested a more proactive approach to address the hype surrounding the lawsuit: “They should have planted them trees, bro. Everything would have been different. Somebody could have planted them trees… They could have went down to Home Depot, got them some joints. Twenty dollars a piece, 50 dollars a piece. Put them trees in the ground, and everything would’ve went away.”
Pablo Torre later shared this clip, noting in a repost that Staples “is, in fact, not wrong,” further fueling the conversation around both the lawsuit and the outlandish ideas for mascot revision. As the Clippers navigate the legal challenges and the public scrutiny of their star player, Staples’ tongue-in-cheek responses continue to resonate with fans and commentators alike, highlighting the intersection of sports, culture, and humor.
