The NBA investigation into Aspiration and the Los Angeles Clippers is at the center of one of the most talked-about off-court sagas of the season.
Los Angeles Clippers / Schedule
ESPN’s Bill Simmons says there are whispers the league might release new information around Christmas, possibly on a slow news day like the day after the holiday, as the Clippers prepare to host the All-Star Game next February.
“There’s some whispers. Just be ready for a holiday news drop on that one. Some whispers about a Friday, 5:30, day after Christmas type of situation,” Simmons said on The Bill Simmons podcast. “They have to get something out, as we’re getting closer to the All Star Game that the Clippers are hosting.
“They cannot go into the All-Star Game without announcing what happened, and I think we’re closer to finding out what the punishment will be— if there will be a punishment,” he added.
The investigation centers on the Clippers’ past dealings with a now-bankrupt sustainability company called Aspiration Partners.
What sparked league attention was an endorsement agreement between Aspiration and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard that has been described by investigative reporter Pablo Torre as a “no-show” endorsement deal.
Documents obtained by Torre’s podcast suggest the deal could have been used to pay Leonard tens of millions of dollars outside of standard NBA salary structures, raising questions about possible salary cap circumvention.
Aspiration later filed for bankruptcy, and one of its co-founders, Joseph Sanberg, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges for defrauding investors of more than $248 million, though there is no public evidence that Leonard personally performed promotion work for Aspiration.
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