NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Aspiration Partners Inc., the company that reportedly signed a 28 million dollar legal agreement with Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard for a “no-show job”, ran out of money in December 2022, yet Leonard paid.
The San Francisco-based environmental company dismissed employees, including some managers as it ran out of money. Sports reporter Pablo Torre said Clippers minority owner Dennis J. Wong made almost an investment of $ 2 million for aspiration while the company fought in a recent episode of its podcast.
Aspiration then paid Leonard $ 1.75 million of Wong’s investment and met the required amount agreed in his approval contract with the company while the company dismissed the employees.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Los Angeles Clippers tip Kawhi Leonard, right, looks against the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball match in Inglewood, California, on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Last week, the NBA announced that it is investigating Leonard’s $ 28 million endorsement contract to determine if it surrounded the league’s wage rules.
Aspiration requested bankruptcy this year. It listed several creditors at the time, among those Clippers, owed about $ 30 million, and a company called KL 2 aspire LLC, which owed $ 7 million.
Leonard is listed as manager of this company in California’s archiving. Kl is his initials and 2 is his Jersey number.
LeBron James Silent as New China -Controvers swirl around him
La Clippers tip Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball in the first quarter against Denver Nuggets under match seven of the first round of 2025 NBA playing games in Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on May 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imag images)
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made a $ 50 million investment in aspiration, and the company and team announced a $ 300 million partnership in September 2021. That was about a month after Leonard signed a four-year extension of $ 176 million with Clippers.
Ballmer hardly denied any wrongdoing and welcomed the league’s investigation.
“We did things about the book,” Ballmer told ESPN last week.
La Clippers tip Kawhi Leonard (2) plays in the third quarter against Denver Nuggets under the match Seven of the first round of 2025 NBA playing games in Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, May 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imag images)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke after a board meeting in New York – one that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer participated in – and said the league will wait to see the report from the external company it has hired to run its investigation before taking the next step.
“We are constantly learning at the league office and again I reserve judgment because I do not know the facts here,” Silver said. “I don’t know what Kawhi was paid. I don’t know what he did or didn’t. We’re leaving all that the investigation.”
Pakinomist Digital reached out to Clippers and Leonard for a comment on the latest report, but did not immediately get an answer.
