The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode: Pablo Torre on the Clippers and Kawhi
Date: September 3, 2025
Guests: Pablo Torre (Pablo Torre Finds Out), Sam Amick (The Athletic)
Hosts: The Athletic NBA Daily team

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Pablo Torre's bombshell reporting on the Los Angeles Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard, and the secretive $28M "no-show" endorsement deal with the now-defunct green banking company Aspiration. Torre, alongside NBA insider Sam Amick, unpacks the investigation’s findings, the implications for the Clippers and the league, and the broader context of salary cap circumvention in the NBA. The hosts and guests explore what consequences might lie ahead for the franchise and the league, referencing both historical precedents and the unique complexities of this case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard Scandal Unveiled

• Pablo Torre summarizes his reporting:

  • In 2019, Sam Amick reported NBA concerns about the Clippers’ acquisition of Kawhi, questioning potential off-the-books deals or salary cap circumvention ([03:40]).
  • Torre reveals Aspiration, a "green bank" with celebrity backers (Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Drake), signed a secret endorsement deal with Kawhi for $28M—“a no-show job” ([04:43]).
  • Steve Ballmer, Clippers’ owner, invested $50M into Aspiration via his own LLC ([04:43]).
  • Aspiration inked a massive, 23-year, $300M Clippers sponsorship—a web of business deeply tied to the team and Leonard ([04:43]).
  • “According to these seven sources, [it was] all a deal to circumvent the salary cap.” – Pablo Torre ([04:43])

• Visual receipts:

  • Over 3,000 pages of internal Aspiration documents, contracts, bank statements, and communications sourced for the investigation ([06:00]).

2. Scope & Novelty of the Alleged Scheme

• Why this feels different:

  • Past cases of salary cap circumvention lacked "smoking gun" documentation; here, the evidence is comprehensive, visual, and “absurd” ([06:26], [06:57]).
  • “Good guy climate change company leading to a secret no show job for $28 million… That just feels different.” – Pablo Torre ([06:26])

• The contract itself:

  • Kawhi’s deal structured so he “literally did nothing”. There were zero public-facing deliverables, and unique out-clauses triggered only if he left the Clippers ([09:57]).

• Ballmer’s deep involvement:

  • Ballmer’s $50M personal investment, visible email evidence, and intertwined business dealings make the disconnect between franchise and sponsor implausible ([15:15], [21:47], [23:14], [25:11]).

3. The Uncle Dennis Factor

• Kawhi’s uncle, Dennis Robertson, (“Uncle Dennis”):
  • Characterized as “priority number one” at Aspiration during its decline ([10:19]).
  • A legacy of seeking extreme “sweetener” demands in free agency—ownership stakes, off-court endorsements ([13:40]).
  • “Uncle Dennis gets paid.” – Host ([12:31])
  • “He is both the loudest possible and worst possible ambassador you could have as a guy trying to do secret deals…dancing between the raindrops.” – Pablo Torre ([12:53])

4. NBA, Clippers, and Potential Consequences

• NBA response status:

  • As of recording, the NBA had not issued a statement; sources indicate a “level of panic from the NBA” ([08:42]).
  • The Clippers responded to Torre with a statement calling the allegations “provably false” but without knowledge of the evidence in hand ([08:42]).

• Possible penalties (if proven):

  • Voiding Kawhi’s contract.
  • Executive suspensions (up to a year).
  • Franchise fines.
  • Historical precedent: 2000 Timberwolves-Joe Smith case involved contract voiding, suspension of executives, and fines ([26:36]).
  • “Adam [Silver] sees salary cap circumvention as the cardinal sin of the NBA.” – Sam Amick ([27:21])

• Adam Silver’s dilemma:

  • Stern’s “iron fist” vs Silver’s “velvet glove” governance styles ([29:17]).
  • “Here’s the richest owner in all of sports coming around and doing whatever he wants, it seems like, with slaps on the wrist as the consequence.” – Pablo Torre ([29:17])

• Broader NBA stakes and owner dynamics:

  • Small-market vs big-market inequities highlighted ([30:45]).
  • Possibility of other teams having similar deals; some owners “dirty,” some vocal about Clippers’ transgressions ([31:21]).
  • “The league does not want the curtain pulled all the way back on all of their teams.” – Sam Amick ([31:21])
  • If the league acts, could expose further widespread abuses; if not, risk of setting a dangerous precedent ([32:46]).

5. Reporting Process & Journalistic Approach

• How the investigation began:
  • Torre notes his interest in the business-politics-sports intersection; he noticed the incongruity of Aspiration’s $300M sponsorship and then its bankruptcy, leading him to public filings and eventual document discovery ([35:23]).
  • Seven months of investigative work, new sources coming forward post-publication, and hints at more follow-up stories ([34:42]).
  • “I’m the weird guy who remembers a 23 year, $300 million sponsorship deal…” – Pablo Torre ([35:23])
  • The show aims for “investigative journalism that also feels like we’re melting some cheese on your broccoli”—mixing seriousness with entertainment ([36:44]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Board Man gets paid. It has never been more true than in this story.” – Pablo Torre ([09:57])
• “Absence of evidence here is evidence because this was specifically an endorsement contract, right? So the whole point is to be public in any way. And so the question is, why was it never made public in any way?” – Pablo Torre ([10:19])
• On the contract's out clauses:
  • “Aspiration could terminate the deal if and when Kawhi Leonard stopped playing for the Clippers.” ([10:19])
• On the PR calculus for the league:
  • “How do you broker an agreement with Steve Ballmer which you both agree is the maximum pain you will tolerate for the maximum shrinking that we can achieve as a sport in terms of the PR problem here?” – Pablo Torre ([34:25])
• On the legacy of Adam Silver vs David Stern:
  • “When I think about the Iron fist of David Stern versus the velvet glove of Adam Silver, ...here’s the richest owner in all of sports ... with slaps on the wrist as the consequence.” ([29:17])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Aspiration-Kawhi “no-show” deal & Ballmer’s investment – [04:43]
• Deep dive on contract structure, Uncle Dennis’ role – [09:56] to [13:27]
• Historical precedents (DeAndre Jordan, Joe Smith, salary cap cases) – [14:42], [26:36]
• Discussion of possible league responses & penalties – [27:14], [29:17]
• Owner dynamics, danger of uncovering more corruption – [31:21]
• The journalism and how the investigation started – [35:04]
• Show philosophy and what listeners can expect from Pablo Torre Finds Out – [36:44]

Flow & Tone

The conversation is lively, in-depth, and insider-driven, blending the gravity of the revelations with wry humor and journalistic camaraderie. The rapport between Torres, Amick, and the hosts makes the episode engaging and accessible, even as they discuss dense topics like the NBA’s CBA, business law, and the politics of league enforcement.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is essential listening for any NBA fan interested in the behind-the-scenes dynamics of team building, league governance, and modern sports business. It breaks open a major allegations story with substantial documentation and posits critical questions about competitive fairness, power, and accountability at the highest levels of the NBA.

Recommended Action:

• Seek out the original “Pablo Torre Finds Out” episode for full context and supporting materials.
• Stay tuned for follow-up reporting from Torre and Amick as the NBA’s response and possible consequences unfold.