Kawhi Leonard, star forward for the LA Clippers, has aggressively defended his side of the story. These allegations imply he was involved in a no-show arrangement tied to his endorsement contract with now-bankrupt company Aspiration. Lastly, Leonard pushed back hard against the miscues, calling the claims “false.” He then invites the NBA to come probe the situation.
The firestorm began when Aspiration named Leonard as one of its largest creditors in bankruptcy court filings. They did not pay him a huge debt of $7 million. Notwithstanding this, Leonard insisted that he never borrowed any of the money due to him from the company.
During a press conference building a partnership with Aspiration in November 2021, Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers, welcomed Leonard on board. This agreement was indeed a historic breakthrough. It was $300 million in federal opportunities—a much larger but equally difficult to fathom partnership between the (now under contract) Clippers and Aspiration. In August 2021, Leonard secured a four-year, $173 million contract extension with the team. At the time, he had good reason to celebrate this huge accomplishment.
Leonard’s relationship with Aspiration soon turned ugly when the company filed for bankruptcy. This latest development continues to raise deep concerns about the propriety of their financial dealings. He said he was optimistic about the future of the NBA’s own investigation, insisting that he and his staff had done nothing wrong.
“None of us did no wrongdoing. That’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team,” – Kawhi Leonard
In response to the no-show allegations, Leonard stated he does not engage in conspiracies or pay attention to clickbait analysts. He promised fans and stakeholders that he is not worrying about the long-term consequences of what happened.
Steve Ballmer showed his own annoyance at Aspiration by saying he felt duped.
“Look, they conned me. They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking they were on the up and up, and they conned me,” – Steve Ballmer
According to reports, Leonard’s endorsement deal ensured that he received greater monetary compensation than previously thought. He went on to explain this further by saying, “It was better than that definitely. Which would mean that his deal with Aspiration ended up being quite a bit more profitable than advertised.
As the investigation unfolds, both Leonard and Ballmer remain focused on their commitments to the Clippers and their respective roles within the organization. The NBA’s inquiry will likely shed more light on these claims as it examines the circumstances surrounding Aspiration’s bankruptcy and its dealings with high-profile athletes such as Leonard.
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