NBA Community Demands Adam Silver Severely Punish Steve Ballmer After Illegal Kawhi Leonard Deal Allegations Surface

Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers stint has been nothing short of controversial. In the very beginning, the Clippers faced a lawsuit from a Johny Wilkes, who claimed he was owed $2.5 million for helping them land the superstar. The case was dismissed by the Los Angeles Superior Court a few years later. You would have thought that to be the end of it.

However, a fresh slate of allegations has hit Steve Ballmer and the ‘Klaw’. These, prompted by investigative journalist Pablo Torre, might be far more severe. Torre, in digging through Aspiration, a tree-brokerage company, found some interesting facts. The company applied for bankruptcy in March.

Prior to it, several high-profile names such as Robert Downey Jr. and Drake endorsed the company. But what Torre found in their bankruptcy filing was a creditor by the name of ‘KL2 Aspire LLC’, a company belonging to Leonard. They owed them $7 million, and Torre got a feeling that there was much more to the story. So he spoke to a former employee, who claims the Clippers offered Leonard $28 million for a “no-show job”.

“I was told, ‘These are the major players and major contracts you really need to be aware of… Oh, and by the way, we also have a marketing deal with Kawhi Leonard. A $28 million organic marketing sponsorship… If I had any questions about it, essentially, don’t, because it was to circumvent the salary cap,” said the anonymous employee.

Likewise, the situation has seen the NBA world go into a frenzy. The Clippers, on their part, deny these allegations. Their statement reads, “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false,”. Given the league’s prior suspicions, there’s a strong likelihood of Silver looking into the matter.

And the fans want just that.

NBA fans call for rampant punishment on the Clippers

So far, the case made by Pablo Torre against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers is just allegations. But the NBA community feels the proof is glaringly obvious. “The NBA has to hammer the Clippers,” one fan wrote. How severe will the punishment be? It’s hard to preempt since such a situation has rarely occurred in the NBA.

Moreover, until proven, there’s no case to be made. But one fan feels there is enough evidence in the document. “LMAO the only termination event for cause in the contract is Kawhi not being on the Clippers anymore, I’m dying at how blatant it is,” they wrote.

Looking at the severity of the situation, some fans have no doubts. They want Steve Ballmer to face a hefty penalty for these actions if proven right. One such fan feels a simple fine won’t suffice.

“If the NBA wants to be taken seriously this should lead to a major suspension and fines. Not sure how you punish an owner other than fining them but I think something else should be in store for Ballmer too,” they wrote.

A large fine could be impending if there is some merit to the allegations made by Pablo Torre. But in Ballmer’s case, the NBA might have to go a step above. See, the Clippers were previously fined $250,000 for trying to offer De’Andre Jordan an endorsement deal to persuade him to re-sign with them. While they did deem it had no impact on the player’s decision, the fine still stood.

A repeat of the same scenario for far greater sums could potentially lead to severe penalties for Ballmer and the organization. One fan suspects, “Clippers gonna have all their 1st round picks through 2035 taken away right as Kawhi and Harden phase out,”.

Is it possible for the NBA to eliminate its future draft picks? Yes, but only if these allegations are true. So far, the Clippers have confidently denied that Ballmer used ‘Aspiration’, a company he funded to sway Kawhi Leonard into joining them. Until a full-blown investigation does take place, the Clippers are in a safe place.

What are your thoughts about this situation? Let us know your views in the comments below.