LA Clippers Release Statement in Wake of Bombshell Kawhi Leonard Payment Report

The LA Clippers have released a statement following a revelation from Pablo Torre that star forward Kawhi Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50 million from team owner Steve Ballmer; it was a “no-show job” to help the Clippers “circumvent” the NBA salary cap. 

“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary-cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration,” the Clippers said in a statement to The Athletic. “Any contrary assertion is provably false: The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations. Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation.

“The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way they can.”

If the reporting of Torre turns out to be accurate and the Clippers did circumvent the salary cap, the punishment, per the current collective bargaining agreement in the NBA, would involve a fine of as much as $4.5 million, the loss of a first-round draft pick and the voiding of Leonard’s contract.

At the heart of this story is the company “Aspiration,” which received the $50 million from Ballmer, filing for bankruptcy in March and reportedly still owing Leonard $7 million.

That’s because Leonard is listed as the manager of the corporation “KL2 Aspire LLC,” which is among the creditors that Aspiration owes money to. Aspiration has since faced allegations of fraud.

Leonard signed with the Clippers in 2019 after winning the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors the previous season. He signed a three-year, $153 million extension with the Clippers in January 2024 and has signed three contracts total with the franchise, the second one being a four-year, $176.3 million extension in August 2021.

The 34-year-old Leonard is a six-time All-NBA honoree and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Last season, he averaged 21.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.8/41.1/81.0.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!