The controversy surrounding Kawhi Leonard‘s secret $28 million Aspiration endorsement deal has reignited questions about Steve Ballmer‘s involvement, prompting Mark Cuban to rush to his defense.
While investigative reports by Pablo Torre have scrutinized the Los Angeles Clippers owner and Leonard, the Dallas Mavericks‘ hero has consistently defended Ballmer, providing clarity on the timeline and distribution of the disputed funds.
“These were guys who committed fraud,” Cuban noted, of the Aspiration brand that Leonard is now signed to. “Look, they conned me.
“I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me.”
By framing the issue as one of deception rather than mismanagement by Ballmer, the ex-Shark Tank supremo claims the financial transactions occurred well before Ballmer introduced Kawhi to Aspiration.
“Correction,” Cuban later wrote to X.com, formerly Twitter. ” ‘However. Aspiration took all the escrow money before they were even introduced to Kawh.’ This part should have been edited out.”
Cuban further added that: “Aspire took MOST of the escrow money and the first 20m BEFORE BALLMER INTRODUCED ASPIRE TO Kawhi’s team.”
This evidence, Cuban argued, absolves Ballmer of wrongdoing in the Leonard-Aspiration affair revolves around the unusual structure of Kawhi’s deal, which included $28 million in cash and $20 million in stock.
This has led to speculation about a backdoor incentive to retain Leonard in Los Angeles, but Cuban highlighted that the real culpability lies with Aspiration executives rather than Ballmer.
“The scammers are where all the blame should start,” Cuban said, adding that “I just don’t see Steve giving up $50 million and risking his entire reputation, integrity, and franchise.”
Interestingly, the Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg has already pleaded guilty to fraud charges, and bankruptcy filings show both Ballmer and Leonard were negatively affected by the company’s collapse.
Other figures involved in the deal, including Andrei Cherny, also supported the validity of Leonard’s contract, noting that “contract clearly said that if Leonard did not meet those obligations, Aspiration could terminate the contract.”
Cherny denied knowledge of broader salary cap discussions and reaffirmed Sanberg‘s central role in the mismanagement, whilst adding to the intrigue was the secrecy surrounding the endorsement.
Unlike typical sponsorships, Leonard‘s deal was never publicly announced, fueling speculation about its nature. Cuban‘s defense of Ballmer and the documented timeline of funds make clear that the Clippers owner acted appropriately.
This leaves the blame squarely on Aspiration’s executives for orchestrating the allegedly fraudulent scheme.
Los Angeles Clippers fixtures: Who does Kawhi Leonard play next?
The Los Angeles Clippers‘ next game is scheduled for Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 16:30 ET/19:30 PT, when they will face the Guangzhou Loong-Lions in a preseason matchup at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.
The team then hosts the Denver Nuggets for an warm-up game against league opposition on Sunday, October 12, at the Intuit Dome ahead of the 2025/26 NBA season. LA hopes to improve on a 50-32 (.610) record.
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