Kawhi Leonard has never been one for words, but his recent comments at the Los Angeles Clippers media day about the $28 million Aspiration endorsement deal have drawn plenty of attention. Asked about the scandal, Leonard downplayed the controversy, saying he didn’t pay much attention to headlines and insisting that he and the Clippers committed no wrongdoing. But David Sampson, former MLB executive and current media personality, was not buying Leonard’s explanations. In fact, Sampson accused the Clippers star of outright dishonesty on his show.
“Kawhi meets the media and wanted to get a point across to you. And he did it in a way that to me indicates that there’s way more going on here. I want you to listen to Ramona Shelburne grill Kawhi Leonard.”
“Let me just start by telling you that Kawhi is lying to you there. And it is not even a question. I’ve been around players for decades. The players keep track of every dollar. Let me start with that. There is not one player who does an endorsement deal and then says, I’m sorry, what do I get paid for that? Doesn’t work that way. They know it down to $500.”
“When you sign a $28 million endorsement deal, you are aware that it’s $28 million and you sure as hell know what you’re owed. So when you’re asked, hey, did you do anything for that money? He said, Ah, I don’t know. I think so. Don’t exactly remember. I’m not buying it. Players don’t forget. Did they stop at a car dealership? Did they film a commercial? Did they like a tweet, which they never did? Did you forward a tweet? Did you do anything?”
“It’s his only and biggest endorsement deal. More money than New Balance, his shoe deal. Oh, I can’t remember. I don’t know what I did. All right, fine. I can’t remember what I’m getting paid. Give me a small break. It’s just not credible.”
The deal in question linked Kawhi Leonard to Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental finance company. Reports allege the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules by funneling additional compensation to Leonard through the deal. Aspiration agreed to pay Leonard $28 million over four years starting in 2022, not long after Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had invested $50 million into the company. Leonard also reportedly received $20 million in company stock.
When the firm filed for bankruptcy in March 2025, Kawhi Leonard was listed as a creditor through KL2 Aspire LLC, claiming he had not been fully paid.
When pressed about whether he knew what services he was supposed to provide in exchange for that money, Kawhi Leonard offered vague answers. He said he understood the contract, denied that he failed to provide services, and maintained that the collapse of Aspiration was fraudulent behavior outside his control.
But his response, particularly the suggestion that he didn’t recall exactly how much he had been paid or what obligations he had fulfilled, set off alarms for Sampson.
Sampson’s point highlights why the story is not going away. For Kawhi Leonard, this wasn’t a minor side hustle. It was a massive agreement tied closely to the franchise he plays for and the owner who signed his checks.
The idea that he could casually forget what work he did or didn’t perform for that kind of money simply doesn’t add up for someone as meticulous as professional athletes are known to be about their finances.
For the Clippers, the optics are troubling.
A team that has long been chasing legitimacy in Los Angeles is now under investigation for salary cap circumvention at a time when the window for a championship is rapidly closing. And until the NBA wraps up its investigation, Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers will have to live with the perception that something isn’t adding up.
