Beleaguered Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard addressed allegations surrounding a so-called “no-show” endorsement deal with the bankrupt company Aspiration on Monday, speaking publicly for the first time about the ongoing NBA investigation.
Leonard, who remained largely silent throughout the offseason, strongly denied any wrongdoing and said the league’s inquiry would not distract him or his teammates.
“The NBA is going to do its job,” Leonard told reporters during media day. “None of us did anything wrong. We invite the investigations, and it’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.”
The Aspiration Allegations
Investigative journalist Pablo Torre first reported on the arrangement between Leonard and the now-bankrupt Aspiration company on Sept. 3, marking one of the biggest NBA offseason stories. Torre’s reporting suggested that Aspiration may have been used as a vehicle by Clippers ownership—which invested in the company—to funnel additional payments to Leonard while circumventing the league’s salary cap.
Documents obtained by Torre’s team reportedly showed no evidence of Leonard actively endorsing Aspiration despite a four-year, $28 million contract.
Leonard dismissed these reports as inaccurate but did not provide further evidence to counter them.
“I understand the full contract and the services I had to provide. Like I said, I don’t deal with conspiracies, clickbait, or analysts spinning stories,” Leonard said. “This is all old news. The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was going to happen. The company went belly up; it was a fraud, as everybody knows. If you want more details, you need to ask the owner or whoever else was involved in the fraud.”
Asked if the bankrupt company still owed him $7 million after he was listed among the largest creditors of Aspiration, Leonard could not remember.
“I’m not sure on all the specifics—I’d have to look back at the books—but it’s more than that for sure.”
Maintaining Focus on the Season
Despite the cloud of the investigation hanging above their heads, Leonard said he remains focused on basketball and the team’s goals for the season.
“I think it’s easy,” Leonard said. “There’s nothing to hide. No wrongdoing. We’re just going to keep going as we would any other season. My name might pop up, but it is what it is. I’ve been through times like this before, like last year, when my house and community caught on fire right as I returned for the first game. I don’t think this will be any harder than that.”
Leonard also said he has avoided reading headlines or following conspiracy theories about himself or the Clippers.
Clippers Re-Tool for Contention
The Clippers have revamped their roster this offseason, adding three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, 12-time All-Star Chris Paul, John Collins, and veteran center Brook Lopez. Only Norman Powell, who was traded to Miami, departed from the core group.
“We have some new players on our team this year,” Leonard said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they can bring and seeing if we can make something special happen.”
As the league’s investigation continues, Leonard insisted that it will not derail the team’s focus as they pursue a championship.
“It’s about the season and what’s ahead of us right now,” he said. “Tomorrow we’ll start camp and see what we’ve got.”
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