The controversy continues to swirl around Pablo Torre, the Los Angeles Clippers, and star player Kawhi Leonard, who recently signed a $145 million contract. While allegations mount, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has come forward to defend Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, firmly denying that Ballmer or the organization were part of any plan to evade the NBA’s salary cap rules.
Cuban believes another person is behind the fraud
Through his social media platforms, Cuban suggested that the real culprit is Joseph Sandberg, co-founder of Aspiration. According to Cuban, Sandberg has been issuing bad checks and orchestrating a fraudulent scheme, fully aware that his actions would eventually be exposed.
Cuban explained that when the Clippers and Ballmer were involved, they acted appropriately and within their responsibilities. He stated that Sandberg had secured a $145 million loan from a bank through fraudulent means, later defaulting on that loan and setting off a chain of events that are now under investigation.
By the time he gets an investment from Ballmer or Wong, he knows he is going to jail at some point. Then he puts the guy he paid the 12.3m to, on the Aspiration Board of Directors, and they get the CEO, who had a background as a prosecutor of financial crimes, to leave in 2022, right as Sanberg defaulted on his fraudulently acquired loan.
EVERYTHING that happens with the clippers is from 2 guys who knew they were f*cked and would do anything to stay out of jail,” Cuban wrote, emphasizing that the organization itself was not complicit.
Cuban’s defense of Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers
Journalist Pablo Torre claims to have uncovered documents suggesting that the Clippers and Ballmer deliberately worked to bypass the salary cap. Cuban, however, is unconvinced by this narrative.
They paid KL the home team max,” Cuban explained. “More than anyone else could. By your logic his leverage was he would take millions less from another team.
So to keep him, the clippers should pay him the Max and give him 28m via his uncle AND convince the scammer to directly give him 20m in stock, that he already fraudulently pledged to a bank, that was backed by a guy he fraudulently gave 12.3m to. Explain to me how those convos worked.
Cuban’s argument centers on the improbability of the scenario Torre describes, pointing out how illogical it would be for the Clippers to risk league sanctions by engaging in such a convoluted scheme.
For now, the NBA’s investigation is ongoing. Once the probe concludes, the league may shed light on the complex web of accusations, financial dealings, and personal relationships involved in this case. Until then, many details remain hidden from public view, leaving fans and analysts speculating about the true extent of the controversy and whether the Clippers will face any disciplinary action.
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