{"id":136653,"date":"2025-09-11T17:44:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/136653\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T17:44:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:44:08","slug":"la-clippers-could-have-proof-against-kawhi-leonard-aspiration-allegations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/136653\/","title":{"rendered":"LA Clippers Could Have Proof Against Kawhi Leonard, Aspiration Allegations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_pklwuj269\">The Los Angeles Clippers&#8217; saga with Aspiration and the NBA will not be solved anytime soon, but with new reporting coming out from Pablo Torre of <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pablofindsout\" rel=\"nofollow\">&#8220;Pablo Torre Finds Out,&#8221;<\/a> the Clippers will have to provide hard evidence now to clear themselves of wrongdoing. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_3k07591wl\">Previously, the focus was on Clippers owner Steve Ballmer&#8217;s $50 million investment in Aspiration, and the team&#8217;s $300 million partnership with the company, which facilitated a $28 million &#8220;no-show job&#8221; for Kawhi Leonard, according to the allegations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_2iue9g5f2\">The new information from Torre adds another layer to the original allegations that the Clippers used Aspiration to circumvent the NBA salary cap. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_tf3zt6nhw\">In a <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pablofindsout\/status\/1966079550799921243\" rel=\"nofollow\">new development<\/a> to the already ongoing investigation by the NBA, Pablo Torre reported that there is a new person of interest in the allegations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_efv8pzfly\">Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong, <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pablofindsout\/status\/1966079550799921243\" rel=\"nofollow\">according to documents obtained by Torre<\/a>, invested roughly $2 million in the now-bankrupt company, Aspiration, on December 6th, 2022. <\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">EXCLUSIVE: Kawhi Leonard&#8217;s $1.75M &#8220;no-show&#8221; payday was running late.<\/p>\n<p>Then, per new documents obtained by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PabloTorre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@PabloTorre<\/a>, the Clippers&#8217; co-owner invested $1.99M in the team&#8217;s broke sponsor.<\/p>\n<p>Nine days later, Kawhi got paid.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is beyond shocking,&#8221; an Aspiration executive says. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yxOYGfo3dZ\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/yxOYGfo3dZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pablofindsout\/status\/1966079550799921243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_9wx8oe336\">To make matters even trickier, the investment came just nine days before Aspiration made a late $1.75 million quarterly payment to Kawhi Leonard because of his endorsement deal. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_e5o1dneno\">This is where the Clippers must be able to provide evidence on their end. <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/home\/post\/p-173358112\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A new report<\/a> from Jake Fischer of &#8220;The People&#8217;s Insider&#8221; revealed some details about how Los Angeles is operating internally. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_17vc971di\">&#8220;The Clippers have maintained that they welcome the league&#8217;s investigation and believe they can prove the various assertions false \u2026 including, sources say, by providing original emails that show it was Aspiration which sought that first introduction to Leonard&#8217;s camp rather than the Clippers directing the company to Leonard,&#8221; Fischer wrote.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"base_1emrqjj-o_O-initial_fzbddc-o_O-style_1a1csmw\" alt=\"kawh\" title=\"kawh\"\/><\/p>\n<p>May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images \/ Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_e3boz3o4x\">He continued to say, &#8220;Numerous rival team executives have pointed out to The Stein Line that, since there is no shortage of circumstantial evidence already available, there wouldn&#8217;t appear to be much need for the NBA&#8217;s investigation to find its own more direct connections between the Clippers and Aspiration to drop some kind of hammer on Ballmer, his organization or Leonard. The optics are that bad in the eyes of so many beholders.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In 2022, Clippers minority owner Dennis J. Wong made an almost $2M investment in Aspiration, which then paid Kawhi Leonard $1.75M \u2014 as required through his endorsement contract with the environmental company, according to the latest allegations made on the \u201cPablo Torre Finds Out\u201d\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iMuvz426Mw\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/iMuvz426Mw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Athletic (@TheAthletic) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheAthletic\/status\/1966094423382782077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_bial7bsg7\">The new reporting from both Torre absolutely <a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UnderdogNBA\/status\/1966144313936547905\" rel=\"nofollow\">deepens the suspicion<\/a> that the Clippers coordinated an effort to pay Kawhi Leonard outside of the salary cap rules, and while Ballmer and the organization have maintained their innocence, the new details about Wong&#8217;s investment cast doubt on their claims. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_6fj23uogu\">On the other hand, can the Clippers feasibly prove that they have hard evidence against the documents obtained by Torre? It is now up to the league to prove that on their end. <\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_tw12j7f57\"><a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/clippers\/news\/kawhi-leonards-reason-for-choosing-clippers-over-lakers-resurfaces-01k4rskf7ra4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kawhi Leonard&#8217;s Reason for Choosing Clippers Over Lakers Resurfaces<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_53rmoi7ok\"><a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/clippers\/news\/new-details-surface-amid-ongoing-kawhi-leonard-clippers-investigation-01k4nvdcjb2p?utm_source=gol\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New Details Surface Amid Ongoing Kawhi Leonard, Clippers Investigation<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_mxvz7o-o_O-style_12bse5w-o_O-style_6s3kpz\" data-mm-id=\"_2c36af0xh\"><a class=\"tagStyle_16dbupz-o_O-style_1i9owq6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/clippers\/news\/james-harden-on-the-verge-of-passing-lakers-legend-making-nba-history?utm_source=gol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">James Harden on the Verge of Passing Lakers Legend, Making NBA History<\/a><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Los Angeles Clippers&#8217; saga with Aspiration and the NBA will not be solved anytime soon, but with&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,82],"class_list":["post-136653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}