Did Steve Balmer pay Kawhi Leonard under the table?

I’m sure every owner does this but he just happen to be caught

 

Of course. You don’t think other owners don’t do this?

 

FROM SHAMS:

NBA spokesman Mike Bass tells ESPN: “We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation.”

https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3lxxfqmvo532n

 

I don't think the player needs any penalty. How would he know who owns various endorsement companies? Legally he's just a vendor and in an agreement with that company. Many players have little business or legal acumen. As individuals they don't need to do that due diligence.

It should 100% be a massive penalty against the Clippers though. Balmer as an owner is required to validate entities he controls don't pay players outside the salary cap. The Clippers have plenty of attorneys and accountants to ensure this doesn't happen.

Does make me wonder how many other times something similar has happened? Let's say it's an investment in Russia or China - I don't think this would ever get leaked or reported. Could easily have two shell companies with an owner and player sending massive cash or assets one way.

If this reporting is true it's almost more surprising there wasn't more done to conceal the activities or have it go through another intermediary before getting to Kawhi. It's such a blatant circumvention of the cap.

 

I wonder how often this happens.

I mean Dame was a Biofreeze spokesman suddenly and Biofreeze logos ended up on the jerseys and the court.

 

I'd be shocked if the NBA doesn't do something. When the TWolves got caught they lost a bunch of picks.

The reporting seems crazy if true though. Id have thought Balmer would setup something much more elaborate with multiple businesses and shell companies so at the least they could claim it was a mistake. We'll have to see what the final reports on this show.

 

No, it was Silver. At least my recollection is he made the announcement, hence Beatles song.

 

We live in a multi-tier'ed system of rules. One set of rules for us plebs, another, far less stringent set of rules for the millionaires, and practically no rules for the billionaires. I doubt the Clippers themselves will see any repercussions, as I'm sure every team in the league has side deals like this with players and coaches and don't want that can of worms opened. Leonard may see some financial hits, but probably only couch-change levels for his income bracket.

 

And his sister murdered an old lady in a casino bathroom. Google it Chuck!

 

yeah nothing will come of this.

 

Looking at some of these reports I wonder if this is just Aspiration or former employees trying to extort Balmer or something.

Aspiration was founded in 2013. Kawhi signed with the Clippers in 2019. In 2021 Aspiration was going to go public in a 2.3 billion merger. Around then Balmer committed an additional 315 million to Aspiration. Aspiration founder was arrested for fraud 6 months ago in March 2025.

None of that sounds like a "shell" company created by Balmer solely to give Kawhi extra $7 million cash outside the cap per year.

Perhaps Balmer did nothing wrong. Perhaps he did. I really have no idea. But I'm pretty sure that now this will be very thoroughly investigated.

 

Actually I opened an Aspiration checking account for me and my wife at some point. Forgot about that. They had some promotion and paid couple hundred bucks to do it.



I think I had one year I made $5k in profit just from checking account bonus'. Its a ton of work to move money around so haven't done it in years but its a good source of income if you have the time to track everything and move money around for it.

 

"Steve Balmer may get away with this with a slap on the wrist." (video cued to that section)



under new CBA agreement

 

$ fine is irrelevant. Forfeiture of one pick is significant - especially if the take away the next unprotected pick. But only one pick lost is way less than the Twolves violation - that was FIVE picks lost.

Would be hilarious if they void Kawhi contract.