Kawhi Leonard was signed to Nike's Jordan Brand between 2011 and 2018 before signing with New Balance. Back in 2014, Jordan Brand started giving Leonard his very own logo which is in the shape of a hand but also bears his initials and his jersey number. It's one of the best logos in the sport and was featured on shoes and apparel. Despite leaving Nike, Leonard has continued to use the logo but as the star said in a recent lawsuit against Nike, the brand sent him a cease and desist. Leonard claims he's the one who created the logo and that it's his property.
According to TMZ, Nike disagrees with Leonard's claims and are countersuing him for a plethora of reasons including copyright infringement, fraud and breach of contract. The Beaverton brand says there are differences between the final logo and the sketch that Leonard had come up with while in college. Nike also says Leonard has acknowledged in the past that Nike came up with the final idea and made it what it is today.
Kawhi filed to trademark the logo back in 2017 which is what raised some red flags for Nike. As of right now, the brand is trying to get the judge to force Leonard to stop using the image. They also want to collect damages from Leonard but as of right now, the figure hasn't been made public.
