Steve Ballmer is finally speaking out on the scandal that’s put the Clippers in the spotlight. Addressing the controversy surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement with Aspiration, the team’s owner admitted the ordeal has been anything but enjoyable but insisted he and the Clippers played by the rules.
“This was not a fun thing to be through,” said Ballmer, via the Sports Business Journal. “I was personally defrauded through our interactions with the company and some of the staff. The fraud extended broadly through that, and we had many relationships with the company. The important thing is, our relationship with the company and our players’ relationship were independent, which is important under the rules of the CBA. I feel quite confident that we abided by the rules.”
While there may be a link between Aspiration, Steve Ballmer, and the Clippers, no evidence has shown that the Clippers are directly responsible for Kawhi’s lucrative endorsement deal. Ballmer says both he and the team were victims of fraud, and that everything will check out when the NBA investigates the matter.
“So, I welcome the investigation that the NBA is doing,” Ballmer added. “It’s a great way from our perspective to get the facts out there. There’s nothing fun about being highlighted in this way. It’s a whole lot more fun to be highlighted for building a great arena. But this, too, shall pass. I feel very good about what we did, and we welcome the NBA taking a look at it and agreeing with us.”
The Clippers claimed that the allegations were provably false, and only the NBA will get the full story soon enough. In the meantime, Ballmer is denying everything with a certain level of confidence that suggests he already knows the outcome. As it stands now, however, their innocence is still a matter for debate across the NBA community.
Between the testimony of the ex-Aspiration employees and the timing of the cash flow between Ballmer (and Clippers co-owner Dennis Wong), Aspiration, and Kawhi Leonard, there’s enough here that some executives are calling for action, or they could follow with similar schemes in the future.
There are also details in Kawhi’s contract that not only encourage his loyalty to the Clippers but also allow him to opt out of any promotional obligations. That’s on top of the fact that the ex-Aspiration executives claim they could never justify the deal. The whole thing has been deemed highly suspicious, and the league has already begun an official investigation.
While a severe punishment is unlikely, the Clippers could see a penalty that includes anything from a fine to the loss of draft picks. In the worst case, they could lose Kawhi Leonard if his contract gets voided. For what it’s worth, Ballmer has now made two statements writing off the accusations, and he’s not budging on the question of his team’s innocence.
For Ballmer, this investigation is a distraction from what he’d rather be known for: building a contender and opening a new arena. As the NBA digs deeper, however, his words alone won’t be enough. The facts surrounding Aspiration and Leonard will ultimately decide whether the Clippers walk away clean or become the latest example of the league’s hard line on cap circumvention.
