Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are being investigated by the NBA for salary cap circumvention.
INGLEWOOD, CA — The Los Angeles Clippers held their annual media day to close out September and kick off the start of training camp. While there’s much to look forward to on the court with this team, all of the attention was on Kawhi Leonard and his response to the allegations made against him over the last month.
In early September, allegations were made by investigative journalist Pablo Torre regarding the LA Clippers and circumventing the salary cap in order to pay star Kawhi Leonard. Those said accusations claimed that Leonard was signed to a no-show deal with Aspiration in late 2021.
Aspiration, which was a company aiming to provide socially-conscious and sustainable banking services and investment products, also entered a partnership with the LA Clippers a few months prior. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reportedly made a number of investments into the company over the years, and it was later discovered that minority owner Dennis Wong also invested in the company.
The Clippers have come out on numerous occasions and denied the accusations while publishing a number of press releases in support of an NBA investigation into the matter.
Monday’s Media Day saw Kawhi Leonard speak last among the seven members of the organization, including President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, head coach Tyronn Lue, and players James Harden, Bradley Beal, John Collins, and Chris Paul.
“The NBA is going to do their job,” Leonard remarked to the first question. “None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or my team.”
Leonard then answered questions by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, which included inquiries about his contract with Aspiration.
“Did you have an understanding of the endorsement deal that you had with the company and did you perform any services for them,” Shelburne asked. “Like the contract you signed, how much you were supposed to receive, what you were supposed to perform for those services.
“I understand the full contract and the services I had to do,” Kawhi Leonard responded. “Like I said, I don’t deal with conspiracies or the clickbait analyst or journalism that’s going on. So, that’s what it is.”
“I think the allegations are that you didn’t perform any services for them. Is that accurate?” Shelburne followed up.
“I don’t think it’s accurate, but it’s old. This is all new to you guys. The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was going to happen,” Leonard added.
According to reports from Pablo Torre and the Boston Sports Journal, Kawhi Leonard was reportedly owed $28 million over four seasons and about $20 million in shares in the company.
“You are named as the largest creditor in the bankruptcy filing,” Shelburne followed up. “Did you actually get the money that was owed to you in the contract?”
“Uh, no,” Kawhi Leonard responded. “But the company went belly up. It was fraud, as everyone knows. If you want any more questions or more details about that company, you need to ask the owner or whoever else is involved in the fraud that went on.”
They said they owed you seven million dollars or something.
“I’m not sure. I’ve got to look back at the books, but nah, it’s more than that for sure.”
“Do you have any idea how much you actually made on that?”
“Nah. It was old. It was like, two, three, four years ago.”
That wasn’t the only comment of the day regarding the investigation. Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank mentioned the allegations and welcomed the NBA’s investigation to clear them of any wrongdoing.
“We are glad there’s an investigation, and we welcome it,” Lawrence Frank said. “We’re eager for the truth to come out. The assumptions and conclusions that have been made are disappointing and upsetting. We expect the investigation to show that these allegations are wrong.
“I’m hurt for Steve [Ballmer]. He’s one of the best and most honorable people I’ve ever met. He does things the right way for the right reasons. He constantly reminds us to stay on the right side of the rules. We also hurt for our players, our staff, and fans…
“We will cooperate with the investigation and let this process play out. But we are eager for the whole truth, the whole picture to be revealed. We’re very confident in what it will show.”
The NBA hired an outside law firm to investigate the LA Cl Clippers, Aspiration, and the funds reportedly sent to Kawhi Leonard. At this time, there is no update, but it’s likely to turn into a months-long investigation before the NBA evaluates the results and how they’ll proceed.
Kawhi Leonard is entering this season healthy after not having to undergo any offseason procedure for the first time since 2020. In 37 regular season appearances with the Clippers last season, Leonard averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
