The NBA has brought in a high-profile law firm to dig into allegations surrounding a potential endorsement scandal involving Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and team owner Steve Ballmer.
Investigation Kicks Off Following Salary Cap Circumvention Claims
The league has tapped Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz — the same heavyweight legal team that handled investigations into former Clippers owner Donald Sterling and ex-Suns owner Robert Sarver when both faced serious misconduct charges.
At the heart of this investigation lies accusations that Ballmer and Leonard found a way around the NBA’s salary cap limits through what’s being called a $28 million no-show marketing deal with environmental startup Aspiration. The arrangement apparently involved a four-year endorsement contract Leonard signed with the company — the same company Ballmer backed with a hefty $50 million investment.
How the Story Broke and the Team’s Pushback
The whole mess surfaced during a “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast episode, where former Aspiration staffers claimed the setup was basically a clever workaround to dodge salary cap restrictions.
The Clippers didn’t waste time firing back, flatly rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing. Their official statement made clear that neither Ballmer nor the organization had engaged in any misconduct or salary cap shenanigans related to Aspiration. They went on to point out that their ties with Aspiration were severed during the 2022-23 season when the company couldn’t deliver on its promises, and claimed they had no clue about any questionable practices until government probes began.
Ballmer Speaks Out as Investigation Moves Forward
In conversations with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Ballmer admitted feeling embarrassed about the whole situation but maintained his innocence, calling Aspiration a fraudulent operation where he held no official control or board seat.
The NBA’s choice to bring in Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz mirrors the league’s approach to other major scandals — like the 2014 investigation into Sterling’s racist comments that got him banned for life, and the 2022 examination of Sarver’s behavior that ended with his suspension and the eventual sale of the Suns.
Both the Clippers and Ballmer have pledged complete cooperation with authorities as this investigation unfolds.
