NBA Disputes ESPN Report on $28 Million Kawhi Leonard Deal Probe

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 17

Mike Bass said ESPN’s account of the NBA’s Clippers investigation contains “numerous and significant inaccuracies,” directly challenging a report that no evidence tied Steve Ballmer to improper payments to Kawhi Leonard.
ESPN had reported investigators found no proof Ballmer funneled money through team sponsors to evade the salary cap, centering on Leonard’s four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with bankrupt tech firm Aspiration.
The report said the probe reviewed months of emails, texts and financial records and widened to sponsors including Daktronics and Boingo, while focusing on whether the Clippers improperly connected Leonard with partners or failed to supervise staff.
The Clippers said they did nothing wrong, calling such introductions ordinary across the NBA and saying Leonard’s representatives—not the team—handled endorsement negotiations.
The league did not specify which ESPN details were wrong, but Bass said the investigation is still unfinished, leaving any claim that the Clippers were cleared premature.