Kawhi Leonard is Suing Nike for Stealing his KL2-Klaw Logo

Klaw-suit

Just last week, there were rumors floating around that the Los Angeles Clippers had allegedly taken steps to secure Kawhi Leonard’s KL2 “Klaw” Logo (below) from Nike, in order to persuade the soon-to-be free agent out West this offseason. But now it looks like the Raptors superstar and the face of New Balance hoops could be putting an end to any negotiations—and take back what he says is his.

According to the Portland Business Journal, Leonard has filed a federal lawsuit against Nike, claiming that the logo was actually his design. The nine-page suit was filed today in United States District Court and claims that the logo was an updated version of drawings he’d been working on since college. Leonard says he worked with Jordan Brand on the design, but Nike later filed a trademark claim to take sole ownership.

Although the lawsuit has just been filed, this isn’t the first time Leonard has claimed to have had a hand in the design, which could lend some credence his argument. In 2014, Leonard said the logo was his idea, but added “I give the Jordan Brand team all the credit because I’m no artist at all. They refined it and made it look better than I thought it would ever be, and I’m extremely happy with the final version.”