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New Report Gives Clippers Some Help Amid Kawhi Leonard Investigation

A new report could be a key for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA's investigation of Kawhi Leonard
Grant Mona|
Jan 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Jan 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Clippers

The current NBA investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers has mainly been a one-sided affair in the public perception department, and optically.

Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks minority owner, has been in Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's corner and on the side of Los Angeles from the beginning of the findings by Pablo Torre from "Pablo Torre Finds Out."

Even with the scrutiny weighing heavily against Los Angeles, it is clear that there is still much to uncover and sort through before the NBA makes a decision.

A New Report Could Help the Clippers

New reporting from Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic revealed some vital new information that could help the Clippers' case in the NBA's investigation of Kawhi Leonard.

“The contract specified that Leonard would, among other asks, participate in one eight-hour day of production, one four-hour day of public relations, two one-hour community service events, one five-minute segment per week 'in conversation with (Clippers) Coach Ty Lue' while he sat out the 2021-22 season recovering from an injury," Vorkunov wrote.

He continued to state, "But the deal, which allowed Aspiration to terminate it for cause or if Leonard was no longer playing for the Clippers, also gave Leonard sign-off on the requests and allowed him to refuse to do anything 'not consistent with his beliefs.'”

If the reporting and documents prove to be true on The Athletic's end, then Leonard could have an explanation for not showing up to his required endorsement deal tasks.

Aspiration's Co-Founder Speaks Out

The Athletic also reached out to Andrei Cherny, the co-founder of Aspiration, and received a response that could also go against Pablo Torre's reporting that Leonard's contract with Aspiration was a "no-show" deal.

"When reached by The Athletic this week, Andrei Cherny, Aspiration’s co-founder and CEO until 2022, disputed that Leonard had a no-show contract. He said the beliefs clause is standard for celebrity endorsements and that the company could end the agreement if Leonard didn’t perform on his end," Vorkunov said. 

Cherny's observation that the company could have ended the agreement with Leonard if he failed to perform his duties could be a critical point in the investigation.

It would completely counter the narrative that the deal was a "no-show" job, as a legitimate contract would have grounds for termination if the partner failed to fulfill their end of the bargain.

With reports swirling, documents being leaked, and new evidence being presented, it is fair to say that there is no end in sight for the NBA's investigation.

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Grant Mona
GRANT MONA

Grant Mona is a multimedia sports journalist based in Los Angeles, covering multiple teams. He is a co-host and producer on The Sporting Tribune Today on The BET Las Vegas, KIRN 670 in Southern California and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network. He formerly played baseball with the University of the Pacific Tigers.

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