“I never heard of Aspiration before”: Adam Silver gets totally frank about Kawhi Leonard and LA Clippers no-show job scandal

The LA Clippers are once again trending in the offseason after the ownership was accused of circumventing the salary cap to sign All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard in 2019. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has now addressed the issue.

According to Pablo Torre, owner Steve Ballmer reportedly paid $28 million to Leonard for a “no-show job” to make a workaround for the salary cap. Ballmer-funded Aspiration, a business with a climate focus, which is the purportedly implicated entity.

Commissioner Adam Silver has since shown his support for the NBA conducting an investigation. On Wednesday, Silver conducted a press conference where he admitted to never having heard of Aspiration.

“When the podcast came out, it was news to me,” Silver told the media. “I, frankly, never heard of the company Aspiration before and I never heard a whiff of anything around (an) endorsement deal with Kawhi (Leonard) or anything around an engagement with the Los Angeles Clippers.

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“It was all new to me. I heard it, I saw some of the follow-up information. We spoke internally with Rick Buchanan, our general counsel here, who overseas investigations. Rick had a conversation with Steve Ballmer and we quickly concluded this was something that grows to the level that necessitates an investigation.”

Silver added that the NBA needs to follow due process regarding the Clippers' case. He explained that the league needs further proof about the accusations and "let the investigation run its course."

Since Torre's article, the organization has refuted the accusations.

The LA Clippers are unlikely to face a "significant penalty" if reports prove correct

The best course for the LA Clippers is to allow the league to conduct its investigation. Questions have been raised since the news surfaced about how the NBA would discipline the Clippers if the allegations are proven.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the organization is unlikely to face a "significant penalty." Although he didn't specify what it could be, he revealed what he had gathered from other franchises around the association.

"This is just from talking to teams, the teams I've talked to, they're not expecting a penalty here, a significant penalty of anything, just because they realize how significant salary cap circumvention is," Marks said.

The league has just started its investigation into the case, meaning it could take a while to clear the air and reveal accurate reports regarding the LA Clippers.

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Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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