While most NBA media day press conferences follow a predictable pattern, genuine anticipation surrounded what would be heard from the Clippers, particularly from Kawhi Leonard.
Monday marked Leonard`s first engagement with the media since explosive reports emerged detailing alleged salary cap circumvention linked to a dubious endorsement agreement with the now-bankrupt company, Aspiration. The substantial $28 million deal, augmented by an additional $20 million in company stock, raised significant questions, especially given Leonard`s apparent lack of public endorsement for Aspiration.
Further complicating matters, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the organization themselves shared financial ties with Aspiration, fueling additional inquiries that the league is now actively investigating. Despite numerous statements issued by the team concerning the various reports, Leonard offered his initial comments on Monday. The star player dedicated the first three minutes of his press conference to addressing the situation, detailing his perspective on the ongoing probe.
When questioned about whether the reports and investigation presented a difficult distraction as the season commenced, Leonard quickly dismissed the notion.
“It`s easy for me. I don`t read headlines or do conspiracy theories or anything like that. It`s about the season and what we`ve got ahead of us right now. Tomorrow we`ll start camp, and see what we got.”
Leonard stated.
Asked for his reaction to the reports or a formal statement on the situation, Leonard`s response was brief.
“Um, no. The NBA`s gonna do their job. None of us did no wrongdoing. And, yeah, that`s it. We invite the investigations. It`s not gonna be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
He affirmed.
Leonard was then asked if he was fully aware of the contract`s specifics, including the compensation he was due from Aspiration and the services he was expected to provide.
“I understand the full contract and the services I had to do. Like I said, I don`t deal with the conspiracies or clickbait analysts or journalism that`s going on. So that`s what it is.”
Leonard asserted.
When pressed on allegations that he did not actually perform any services as part of the deal, Leonard shifted the focus, characterizing the issue as `old news` from his perspective.
“I don`t think it`s accurate. But, it`s old. This is all new to you guys. The company went bankrupt awhile ago, so, we already knew this was going to happen.”
Leonard commented.
Subsequently, Leonard was asked if he had received all payments he was owed, to which he responded negatively.
“Uh, no. But the company went belly up. It was fraud, as everybody knows. If you want any more questions or details about that company you need to ask the owner or whoever else is involved in the fraud that went on.”
He revealed.
Asked if reports claiming he was still owed $7 million were accurate, Leonard stated he didn`t know the exact figure but believed the amount was actually higher.
“I`m not sure, I gotta look back at the books. No, it`s more than that for sure.”
Leonard clarified.
Finally, when asked about the total amount he had made from the deal, Leonard admitted he couldn`t recall.
“No, it was like two, three, four years ago.”
He explained, indicating the timeframe.
Following this exchange, the conversation shifted to basketball. However, the initial back-and-forth, particularly with ESPN`s Ramona Shelburne — who conducted the first interview with Steve Ballmer after the story broke — delving into the contract details, was undeniably captivating.
It was certainly intriguing that Leonard dismissed the reports as `conspiracy theories` while simultaneously confirming many of the contract`s specifics. His assertion that he was owed more than the initially reported $7 million is also noteworthy, and the NBA is expected to thoroughly investigate all these claims.
Leonard echoed the Clippers` stance of welcoming the investigation. Nevertheless, it will only be after the probe concludes — which is likely to take some time — that we will learn if Leonard and the Clippers` confidence was justified, or if the league arrives at a different conclusion, aligning with public perception based on reported details.
