The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have vehemently denied accusations the team tried to circumvent the NBA salary cap when it signed Kawhi Leonard in 2019. Since journalist Pablo Torre unveiled evidence of that possible scandal, both the team and Ballmer have echoed the same sentiment, claiming Ballmer was “defrauded” by Aspiration, the company at the center of that scandal.
But Torre provided evidence Monday that raises some eyebrows about Ballmer’s claims. Turns out, Ballmer — who claimed at a Sports Business Journal event in September that he was “personally defrauded” — continued to give money to Aspiration cofounder Joe Sanberg long after the company was being investigated by the federal government.
To fully understand that clip, some background is needed. Sanberg was the cofounder of Aspiration, the company that reportedly paid $28 million to Leonard for “no-show jobs.” That agreement is at the center of the Ballmer-Leonard scandal, as Torre through his reporting has alleged that deal was used by the Clippers and Ballmer as a way to circumvent the NBA salary cap.
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Over the course of his investigation, Torre unveiled multiple payments by the Clippers, Ballmer and Clippers co-owner Dennis Wong to Aspiration at various points during the company’s lifespan, including when it was in a dire financial situation.
At a certain point, it became clear Aspiration wasn’t living up to a partnership it signed with the Clippers, causing the team to ditch Aspiration as a partner after the 2022-23 NBA season. Ballmer gave the company $10 million in March 2023, shortly before the end of the 2022-23 NBA season. Ballmer put that money in at a time where 19 other partners refused to invest in Aspiration due to its rocky financial situation.
Weeks after that payment, the federal government began interviewing Aspiration employees as part of an investigation into the company’s actions.
Despite all of that, Ballmer — through his investment company Ballmer Group — sent a $1.875 million grant to the Golden State Opportunity Foundation, a different company run by Sanberg, in December 2024, months after the government started investigating Aspiration.
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Ballmer’s continued willingness to invest in companies run by Sanberg calls into question the Clippers owner’s claims about being “defrauded.” If Ballmer truly felt that way, why would he continue to invest money in projects run by a person involved in that alleged defrauding? The timeline of investments from Ballmer shows he gave Sanberg more money long after the federal government investigated Sanberg and Aspiration for defrauding investors.
It’s not a coincidence Torre revealed these claims Monday. The Clippers hold media day, and will almost certainly be asked about the Leonard drama. It’s unlikely anyone involved in the potential scandal will speak openly about the situation at media day.
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Due to Torre’s reporting, the NBA reopened its investigation into Leonard’s free agency. In 2019, the league looked into whether Leonard received impermissible benefits as part of his free agency. The league could not find evidence suggesting that was the case.
When asked about the investigation in September, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he would need clear and obvious evidence to punish the Clippers, Ballmer or anyone else involved. Torre’s latest report did not provide a smoking gun for NBA investigators, but called into question Ballmer’s claims that he was “defrauded” by Aspiration, which — to this point — has been Ballmer’s primary defense against allegations he knowingly tried to circumvent the NBA salary cap with the Leonard signing.
This news was originally published on this post .
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