Hiltzik: Inside the NBA's nuclear bomb on the Clippers
Los Angeles Times • • sports
Key Points:
- The NBA has imposed severe sanctions on the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer for orchestrating illicit endorsement deals to circumvent the league’s salary cap rules, including a $30 million fine and loss of first-round draft picks from 2029-2033.
- Investigations revealed the Clippers arranged multiple secret endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard with companies seeking business with the team, disguising these as player-initiated to avoid league detection, violating strict NBA salary cap regulations.
- Ballmer was suspended for one year from all league and team activities, with additional suspensions for top Clippers executives, while the team vehemently denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal the penalties.
- The scandal centers on a $48 million deal between Leonard and Aspiration, a sustainability company, which was found to be a sham endorsement with minimal actual player involvement and orchestrated by the Clippers to channel extra income to Leonard.
- The sanctions and scandal severely damage the Clippers’ reputation and future prospects, potentially condemning the franchise to prolonged struggles and diminished fan enthusiasm despite Ballmer’s high-profile ownership.
