NBA Disputes ESPN Article on Investigation of Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer
The league is now examining whether Clippers sponsor introductions violated salary-cap rules and could trigger a failure-to-supervise finding.
- On Monday, reports indicated the NBA found no evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled sponsor money to Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the salary cap.
- The league launched this 11-month investigation following a September 2025 report by podcaster Pablo Torre alleging Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration, a company that also secured a $300 million deal with the Clippers.
- Investigators are now examining whether the team's introduction of Leonard to sponsors violated league rules, specifically questioning if the Clippers are guilty of 'failure to supervise' employees.
- This probe has stalled a pending trade between the Clippers and the Toronto Raptors, with the deal currently on hold until the NBA issues a final resolution.
- While the Clippers maintain they did nothing wrong, sources noted the league might seek restitution for benefits like travel, though some insiders argue penalizing sponsor introductions is an 'outrageous overreach.
32 Articles
32 Articles
ESPN Reports Steve Ballmer Cleared By NBA's Kawhi Leonard Investigation, NBA Says Otherwise
According to a report from ESPN, the NBA hasn't found any evidence that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer arranged to pay Kawhi Leonard in excess of salary-cap rules via the fraudulent green-banking company Aspiration. Just under a year ago, after a series of reports from podcaster Pablo Torre, the NBA hired the prestigious law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate the alleged scheme. Per the ESPN report, lawyers representing…
Pablo Torre under fire for 'trying to ruin people's reputation' after bombshell ESPN report
Credit: Pablo Torre Finds OutInvestigative sports journalist Pablo Torre has received widespread acclaim for digging into alleged salary cap circumvention by the Los Angeles Clippers in the franchise’s acquisition of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. On Monday, ESPN reported that the NBA’s investigation into the matter was wrapping up and that it had been determined that there was no evidence that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money to Le…
Report: No proof Steve Ballmer funneled money to Kawhi Leonard
Following an 11-month investigation, the NBA was not able to show any proof that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money to Kawhi Leonard via team sponsorships to bypass the salary cap, ESPN reported on Monday. Per the report, the NBA...
NBA: ESPN report on Clippers investigation 'contains numerous and significant inaccuracies'
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesESPN filed a report on Monday with new details about the NBA’s ongoing investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers’ potential salary cap circumvention related to sponsorship deals awarded to star player Kawhi Leonard. No more than two hours after ESPN published its findings, the NBA issued a strongly worded statement refuting the article as containing “numerous and significant inaccuracies.” “ESPN’s article re…
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