The controversy involving Kawhi Leonard and his secret endorsement agreement has taken another dramatic turn.
What began as an unusual sponsorship deal has now spiraled into a broader scandal involving corporate fraud, internal power struggles, and questions about potential salary cap violations by the Los Angeles Clippers.
This growing story was first brought to light by Pablo Torre, who reported that the Clippers may have indirectly paid Leonard through Aspiration, a financial company now in bankruptcy.
According to Torre, Steve Ballmer invested $50 million into Aspiration, raising concerns about the nature of the relationship between the team, the company, and Leonard.
Aspiration’s former co-founder Andrei Cherny has since spoken publicly, claiming in an interview with The Athletic that Leonard‘s $28 million endorsement deal was legitimate and not a “no-show job.” He said there were actual marketing plans in development to use Leonard in campaigns.
Allegations emerge of internal retaliation and cover-up
A new report from APHoops adds more weight to the unfolding scandal, alleging that Cherny was forced out of Aspiration after confronting fellow executive Joe Sanberg about suspected fraudulent activity within the company.
“We were told Cherny resigned in 2022, but this reveals that Sanberg actually forced Cherny out of the company,” APHoops reported. The revelation supports the idea that Cherny was attempting to expose wrongdoing rather than cover it up, adding credibility to his defense of Leonard‘s involvement.
The larger fallout from Leonard‘s time with the Clippers continues to draw attention. On his podcast, Bill Simmons didn’t hold back, criticizing the franchise for its decision.
“This Kawhi, the entire thing of going into business with this dude. All the stuff it cost them. All the players and the draft picks, plus this scandal. It has to be the most damaging transaction in the history of the league. It’s already retroactively one of the worst trades of all time.”
With new layers emerging, the saga around Leonard and Aspiration shows no signs of slowing, casting a shadow over one of the NBA’s most high-profile signings in recent years.
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