Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has firmly denied allegations that his franchise engaged in illegal salary cap maneuvers involving star forward Kawhi Leonard. In a recent interview with SportsCenter, Ballmer addressed claims made by journalist Pablo Torre, who reported that the Clippers allegedly facilitated a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal for Leonard through a company named Aspiration.
The report suggested that Ballmer’s $50 million investment in Aspiration was linked to this controversial arrangement. If true, such a deal would represent a significant breach of NBA salary cap regulations, prompting the league to initiate an investigation.
Ballmer, however, insists that no wrongdoing occurred. He confirmed that he invested in Aspiration in 2021, but clarified that his stake was less than three percent and that he held no board seat or influence over the company. “We made an investment in the company. All fine. I had no control over this company. This is important under the salary cap rules. I owned less than three percent of the company. There were investors who put in a lot more money than I did. I had no board seat. I had no control. Heck, it was a fraudulent company. It’s possible nobody had control,” Ballmer stated.
He further explained that Leonard did not meet with anyone from Aspiration until November 2021, several months after signing his four-year maximum contract with the Clippers in August. “At that time, we hadn’t introduced Kawhi to Aspiration. We were done with Kawhi. We were done with Aspiration. The deals were all locked and loaded. Then they did ask to be introduced to Kawhi. Under the rules, we can introduce our sponsors to our athletes. We just can’t be involved. We made an introduction. … Where could any of this circumvention have happened? It didn’t. It couldn’t have,” Ballmer elaborated.
When questioned about why Aspiration would pay Leonard millions without a clear return on investment, Ballmer attributed the decision to the company itself, which is currently under federal investigation. “I don’t know why they did what they did,” he said. “I really don’t. Any speculation would be crazy. These are guys who committed fraud. They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me. At this stage, I have no ability to predict what they might have done, let alone the contract with Kawhi.”
Ballmer’s strong defense comes amid growing scrutiny of the Clippers’ operations and the potential implications for the NBA as a whole. As the investigation unfolds, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how this situation develops and what it means for the league’s integrity and the Clippers’ future.