NBA Comes Down on Clippers with Historically Harsh Punishment

The NBA concluded a year-long investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers stemming from a September 2024 report by journalist Pablo Torre, which revealed that owner Steve Ballmer funneled an illegal $28 million 'no-show' endorsement deal to star player Kawhi Leonard through a startup company called Aspiration, circumventing NBA salary cap rules. Leonard had officially signed a 3-year, $103 million maximum contract with the Clippers in 2019, but the additional undisclosed payment represented one of the largest salary cap violations in league history. The NBA has now issued what is described as a historically harsh punishment against the Clippers as a result of the findings.