The Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have more explaining to do. And this time, the evidence comes with the team's logo stamped right on it.
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AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File
On his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, Torre revealed a 2022 letter from the Clippers confirming a $21 million withdrawal from an escrow account earmarked for carbon projects through Aspiration, the now-defunct "green" investment company tied to Kawhi Leonard's controversial endorsement deal.
The problem? Aspiration allegedly funneled $28 million to Leonard in what some rival executives insist was a "no-show" arrangement designed to skirt the salary cap. Ballmer was also an investor in the company.
"This, I'm told, was enough to not only pay Kawhi Leonard obviously, it was enough to hit its fundraising target," Torre reported. "It was enough to keep the company afloat two weeks before Kawhi's initial no-show payment was due on June 30, 2022."
Torre also aired testimony from a former Aspiration finance executive who confirmed the Clippers had pumped in quick cash to cover Leonard's looming payday. The source even noted that Mark Cuban, who has been defending Ballmer, unwittingly described the exact mechanism used. "He literally described exactly what they did," the source said. "That would be one of the avenues you would use to circumvent the cap."
Ballmer has publicly claimed he merely introduced Leonard to Aspiration and was not involved in the endorsement deal itself. The NBA, however, continues to investigate. League insider Jake Fischer reported that the probe may drag on until after the 2026 All-Star Game, which ironically will be hosted by the Clippers.
Aspiration filed for bankruptcy in March after being hit with fraud charges. For Ballmer and the Clippers, the questions only seem to multiply.
EXCLUSIVE: Two weeks before Kawhi's first "no-show" payday, the Clippers bailed out Aspiration with a $21M deal signed by the team CFO.
(Yes, @mcuban sent @PabloTorre down this rabbit hole: "He literally described exactly what they did," a source says, "to circumvent the cap.") pic.twitter.com/5lQNMLm8Or
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 18, 2025
