The NBA has officially opened an investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, as first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
“We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the LA Clippers,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “And (we) are commencing an investigation.”
This announcement from Bass and the NBA comes after a report from Pablo Torre on Wednesday morning alleging that Kawhi Leonard received a lucrative, no-work contract in the form of a cap-circumventing scheme by the organization.
Essentially, these reports suggest that Leonard was paid under the table through a now-bankrupt environmental company called Aspiration as a form of payment that would be added to his contract with the Clippers.
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In his latest episode of the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, Torre said seven anonymous former employees of the company claim that the $28 million endorsement deal Leonard got from the company after signing with Los Angeles in 2022 was for a “no-show job” and added to his salary to dodge cap restraints the organization faced.
The Clippers are connected to Aspiration and these allegations as a result of owner Steve Ballmer investing $50 million into the company.
This is a developing story that will be updated shortly.