Pablo Torre Finds Out — “Exclusive: The Invisible NBA Owner and ‘Crimes Against Humanity’”

January 27, 2026 | The Athletic Podcast Network
Host: Pablo Torre
Guest Investigator: Sam Koppelman (Hunterbrook Media)

Overview:

This episode is a gripping “talkumentary” investigation centered on Robert Pera, the reclusive, little-known billionaire owner of the Memphis Grizzlies. Pablo and Sam peel back the layers of Pera’s secretive life, his tech company Ubiquiti, and its unintended (or overlooked) role in enabling Russian drone warfare in Ukraine — conduct that the United Nations has termed “crimes against humanity.” The episode contrasts the NBA’s swiftness in disciplining players like Ja Morant with its anticipated response to the actions (and inaction) of one of its most powerful owners, highlighting issues of accountability, money, tech ethics, and global conflict.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Ja Morant and Violence in the NBA

• Ja Morant’s Disciplinary Issues (01:28 – 03:14)

  • Ja Morant suspended multiple times for gun-related incidents on social media.
  • The narrative around him highlights the NBA’s approach to player discipline.
  • “[Morant] is thematically very essential to understanding the implications of it.” — Pablo Torre (03:04)

• Grizzlies Ownership: Enter Robert Pera (03:22 – 04:11)

  • Robert Pera: the “invisible” billionaire, owner since age 34 in 2012.
  • Known for his success at Ubiquiti Networks, a “democratizer of the internet.”

2. Who Is Robert Pera? NBA’s Most Mysterious Owner

• Pera’s Silicon Valley Backstory (05:00 – 05:16)

  • Bill Gurley called him "the most successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley that you don't know."
  • Purchased the Memphis Grizzlies and quickly became the youngest controlling owner in NBA history.
  • “[Pera] was less than four years older than Tony Allen, the team’s best defender.” — Pablo Torre (05:45)

• An Unusual Owner — Yearning for Recognition (06:46 – 08:57)

  • Pera frustrated that people thought Justin Timberlake owned the team.
  • Embarrassing moment: wanted a one-on-one game versus Tony Allen; backed out after realizing the mismatch.
  • “Robert kind of liked to swing his elbows in a way that could start fights. And Tony is the last person in the league you want to [mess] with… I just think Robert had no idea how badly an NBA player would kick his ass.” — Former Grizzlies employee (09:23)

• Old Tweets, Deleted Challenges (08:28 – 13:34)

  • Pera’s bravado on Twitter: challenged Tony Allen, Mark Cuban, even Michael Jordan, to playful (and charitable) on-court showdowns.
  • “[If we’re talking an owner game,] get me MJ. I’ll up the charity contribution to $1 million.” — Robert Pera, deleted tweet (13:12)

3. What Is Ubiquiti? From NBA Arenas to Global Warfare

• Company Profile (14:22 – 15:07)

  • Ubiquiti: $34B market cap, makes affordable Wi-Fi/networking equipment found worldwide.
  • Beloved by fans for ease of use; former employees and influencers praise the technology on YouTube.
  • Notable Quote: “They can be spotted in garages and broom closets and backyards across the world.” — Pablo Torre (14:44)

• The Dildo-in-a-Dish Antenna (16:04 – 16:22)

  • Pablo’s colorful description: “Imagine there’s like a dish that’s kind of flat and then there’s this dildo just coming out of the center of it.” (16:09)
  • Sam: “A dildo in a dish?”
    Pablo: “Yeah, with a ubiquity U... right at the tip facing outwards.” (16:16)

4. The Smoking Gun: Ubiquiti Devices on Russian Frontlines

• Ubiquiti in Russian Warfare (17:23 – 20:54)

  • Hunterbrook investigation: Ubiquiti’s radio bridges and antennas are being used by Russian military in occupied Ukraine for secure communications and drone attacks.
  • “This enables precision drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians. The types of massacres of innocent people that the UN has called crimes against humanity.” — Sam Koppelman (19:36)

• Visual Evidence (17:37, 22:07 – 22:48)

  • Russian state TV shows Ubiquiti devices among ruins in Donbass.
  • Drone video geolocated to a church steeple on the front line, bristling with Ubiquiti antennas.
  • “It looks like an infestation of these devices... a bunch of my mate Vinces jerry-rigged this thing together.” — Pablo Torre (22:34)

• Scale of the Problem (23:05 – 24:18)

  • Ukrainian officer “Django” estimates ~80% of Russian frontline radio bridge antennas are Ubiquiti.
  • Russian units publicly request and receive Ubiquiti equipment for the war via Telegram.

5. Sanctions, Compliance, and Evasion

• American Tech Powering War Crimes (25:04 – 29:22)

  • U.S. sanctions prohibit supplying such dual-use tech to Russia.
  • Ubiquiti previously fined for similar violations involving Iran in 2014. Pera told Forbes, “If it happens again, I’ll be in trouble.” (29:42)

• Inside Ubiquiti: Minimal Oversight (27:29 – 28:08)

  • Almost no compliance team; “CEO Robert Pera... just doesn’t care about all the extra garbage.” — Former employee (27:44)

6. Hunterbrook’s Undercover Investigation: How Evasion Works

• Ordering Ubiquiti from Russia (32:08 – 39:41)

  • Hunterbrook reporter, pretending to be Russian military, easily buys Ubiquiti devices on Russian websites, e.g., ubiquiti.ru.
  • Key vendor: Nina Kuznetsova, Moscow-based, openly provides “thank you” letters from Russian troops as proof of successful shipments.
  • “Nina sent us thank you letters thanking her for providing equipment to troops fighting in Ukraine.” — Sam Koppelman (37:30)
  • 95% of shipments to the “SVO” (Special Military Operation) are Ubiquiti, according to vendors.

• A “Smoking Gun” (37:27 – 39:10)

  • Official letters from Russian military units and companies explicitly thank Nina for providing “wireless bridges for Russian servicemen in Ukraine.”
  • “We wanted to make triple, quadruple, quintuple sure that Ubiquiti was really selling these devices…” — Sam Koppelman (38:41)

• American Resellers Willing to Evade (40:50 – 43:52)

  • Ohio-based official Ubiquiti reseller (Multi Link Solutions) agrees to ship hundreds of devices to a Russian customer, via Turkey, circumventing sanctions.
  • “[They] actually agreed to help circumvent U.S. sanctions.” — Pablo Torre (43:51)

7. Implications, Accountability, and the NBA

• Does the NBA Care More About Players or Billionaire Owners? (44:03 – 48:43)
  • The contrast between Ja Morant’s public, swift punishment versus the likely protected status of Robert Pera.
  • Core Question: “Does the NBA commissioner care more about a player brandishing a gun on Instagram or if one of his billionaire bosses is enabling Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine?” — Sam Koppelman (48:25)
  • “What kind of accountability is even possible in the event that wrongdoing is reported and established?” — Pablo Torre (46:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The owner of the Memphis Grizzlies is a man by the name of Robert Pera… the most successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley that you don't know.” — Sam Koppelman quoting Bill Gurley (03:55, 04:46)
• “Robert Pera… wanted to make it very clear that he was the one bringing sexy back to Memphis.” — Sam Koppelman (06:47)
• “It's harder to imagine a more stark example of someone not wanting to beat their boss at something.” — Pablo Torre on the cancelled Tony Allen showdown (12:08)
• “These [Ubiquiti] products are allegedly being used to do what by Russia in Ukraine?” — Pablo Torre (18:55)
• “...Ubiquiti’s radio bridges… enable precision drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians… crimes against humanity.” — Sam Koppelman (19:36)
• “Without ubiquity, these drones from Russia, the ones leading to these massacres, they would not work. Quote, ‘they’d be flying blind.’” — Ukrainian soldier via Sam Koppelman (20:54)
• “There is simply no alternative… about 80% of Russian radio bridge antennae observed on the front line is ubiquity.” — Ukrainian officer “Django” (23:05)
• “She’s slinging Wi-Fi antennae, to be specific.” — Sam Koppelman re: Nina the Russian vendor (35:45)
• “Nina sent us thank you letters thanking her for providing equipment to troops fighting in Ukraine.” — Sam Koppelman (37:30)
• “...an American company, an official ubiquity reseller, actually agreed to help circumvent U.S. sanctions.” — Pablo Torre (43:51)
• “I told that owner Pablo that we now know where at least some of those sales are coming from. And the answer is Russia.” — Sam Koppelman (44:03)
• “Does the NBA commissioner care more about a player brandishing a gun on Instagram or if one of his billionaire bosses is enabling Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine?” — Sam Koppelman (48:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro and Setup (01:28 – 03:14): Ja Morant and recent NBA controversies.
• Who Is Robert Pera? (03:22 – 08:57): Pera’s backstory, NBA beginnings, Twitter antics.
• Ubiquiti & Its Global Impact (14:22 – 17:23): Tech company profile, cult following, product description.
• Russian Usage of Ubiquiti (17:23 – 24:18): Frontline use, evidence, firsthand accounts.
• Sanctions, Noncompliance & Evasion (25:04 – 29:42): Legal context, Pera’s 2014 comments, prior fines.
• Hunterbrook’s Sting Operation (32:08 – 43:52): Undercover purchase, Russian and American intermediary sellers, smoking gun letters.
• NBA, Accountability, and Consequences (44:03 – 48:43): Will league or U.S. government act? Comparing the system’s response to players vs. owners.

Tone & Style

• Journalistic, irreverent, with cutting humor.
• Smart, skeptical, and at times snarky — especially in Pablo’s colorful analogies (“dildo in a dish”), the banter about NBA personality/ego, and the allusions to realpolitik, capitalism, and the inconsistencies in how institutions mete out discipline.

For Listeners Who Missed It:

This episode is a masterclass in how tech, sports, and geopolitics collide — with Robert Pera, an NBA owner, and his company Ubiquiti, unwittingly at the epicenter of modern warfare and human rights debates. It’s an exposé of regulatory loopholes, ethical blind spots, and the shocking ease with which sanctioned products find their way into war zones, presented with wit, skepticism, and social conscience. If you want to know how a tech billionaire hiding in plain sight can disrupt the NBA — and potentially global security — this is essential listening.

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