There’s a reason why Sir Charles was very quiet on the Clippers melodrama. He was saving it for his ESPN debut. Inside the NBA is back, and the crew made the most of it. One of the first things on the checklist was previewing tonight’s Clippers-Jazz game at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Soon after, Barkley & Co. unleashed their trademarked unscripted, unpredictable humor with a sneaky jab at the Aspiration scene.

The Chuckster picked the Rockets and the Nuggets as “the two best teams” in the West, despite a stacked roster in LA. No, not the Lakers, but the Clippers. When Kenny Smith asked him why, Chuck quipped, “Well, Kawhi got two jobs. He can’t work two jobs and play basketball.”

Shaq had a clever follow-up ready, saying, “He got that NIL deal from the Clippers.” That’s how The Round Mound of Rebound cracked up the Inside Crew on their first day at ESPN. To the uninitiated, the other job he’s referring to is Leonard‘s supposed ‘no-show’ deal with a now-defunct company called Aspiration.

Chuck had evaded the topic in the few sporadic offseason interviews. The last time he discussed Kawhi Leonard, it was in relation to his rollercoaster of health issues. He argued that The Klaw keeps getting injured because his body lacks endurance. The LA star is stuck in this vicious loop of getting injured – rehabbing – returning to the court – picking up another niggle, on repeat. He has crossed the 60-game mark only once over the last seven seasons. However, while the hoopster seems to be back with a 29-minute stint against the Jazz, the Clippers’ nightmare is far from over.

A striking reality among former NBA stars when they talk about the Clippers and Aspiration

Social media noticed the pattern. NBA vets, retired and active, are either indifferent or amused by the Clippers’ situation. Iman Shumpert had a critical discussion with his hoop buddies about whether what Kawhi allegedly pulled off with Steve Ballmer was actually illegal or not. If it were, and the league could somehow prove it, what would happen then?

Pablo Torre revealed that Aspiration, a company in which Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had invested, paid Kawhi Leonard $28 million. That was reportedly a sham endorsement deal to circumvent the salary cap and avoid the luxury tax.

(Hate to be that kind who explains a joke but…) Chuckster, implying it’s a real job outside of Kawhi’s regular basketball job and referring to it as an NIL deal because that’s the official term for the non-professional salaries of NCAA players, is the best way to summarize it.

Top Stories

Are LeBron James, Luka Doncic Playing Tonight? Lakers vs. 76ers Full Injury Report (Dec 7)

Sophie Cunningham’s Sharp Response Divides WNBA Fans Amid Caitlin Clark’s Project B Decision

What Happened to Franz Wagner? Magic Star Exits Knicks Game With Knee Injury

Are Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler Playing Tonight? Bulls vs Warriors Full Injury Report (Dec. 7)

Did Lakers Sign Chris Paul to a Season-Long Deal? Fact-Checking Viral Claim

Better than Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson joking about ‘Clipper trees’ all around. Gilbert Arenas outrightly stated that nothing will happen to the team, and Kawhi Leonard will continue with his basketball business as usual, despite Adam Silver assuring the fans that there’s an internal investigation underway.

Steve Ballmer, on the other hand, claimed he was a victim of investor fraud as Aspiration went bankrupt. There are numerous statements, criticisms, and opinions circulating, but today’s comments on Inside the NBA once again indirectly suggest that no NBA veteran believes anything will come of this.