The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: Just The Tip (feat. Pablo Torre)

February 11, 2026

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, the crew dives into all things sports, pop culture, and larger-than-life personalities, with a focus on the explosive revelations from Pablo Torre about alleged under-the-table dealings orchestrated by the LA Clippers (and owner Steve Ballmer) surrounding the recruitment and ongoing contract of Kawhi Leonard. The episode is equal parts wild sports intrigue, media accountability discussion, and vintage Le Batard banter—anchored by Pablo’s reporting on what might be the NBA’s most intricate (and potentially damning) salary cap circumvention case in history.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Aliens and Pizza: Opening Chatter

• The show kicks off with a joking discussion about congressmen discussing aliens and how odd behaviors—like ripping the crust off pizza—signal "alien" tendencies.
• Dan and Greg Cody riff about odd personal habits (“Dan rips the crust off a pizza and eats it. That's huge alien behavior.” – Dan, 01:51), and how even their own family members might be "aliens" for their pizza-eating preferences.

2. Pablo Torre’s Bombshell Clippers Reporting

• Transition to the main content: Pablo Torre teases his latest major reporting on the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and a sprawling network of alleged deals stretching back to 2017 (03:54+).
• Allegations Detailed:
  • The Clippers’ efforts to woo Kawhi predate his free agency, allegedly involving side deals to his uncle, hiring personal trainers, and secret contractual agreements.
  • Pablo references a quote attributed to former Clippers GM Michael Winger for emphasis about the multitude of "side deals":
    • “How many fucking side deals have we made with Kawhi?” – Pablo Torre, quoting Winger (06:45)
  • Discussion of actual documentation, contracts, emails, and multiple lawsuits (some dismissed, some ongoing) that reveal “aspiration” was just the tip of the iceberg.

3. The Long Timeline of Alleged Circumvention

• Greg Cody and Pablo Torre provide context on just how long Ballmer and the Clippers have allegedly been at this:
  • Recruiting Kawhi (as early as 2017), promising jobs to his inner circle, including his trainer Randy Shelton (07:54).
  • Uncle Dennis—Kawhi’s uncle—acting as agent for these deals, orchestrating LLCs for financial transactions.

4. The Aspiration Scandal and Its Fallout

• Aspiration, the now-collapsed fintech, exposed through bankruptcy filings to owe Kawhi $7 million; his ties to multiple LLCs created by Uncle Dennis are exposed, suggesting possible additional payment channels (13:39, 14:38).
• Lawrence Frank’s Role: Allegedly orchestrated these deals and recently signed to a lucrative contract extension, which multiple NBA execs describe as “Ballmer hush money.”
  • Pablo Torre: “NBA executives telling me they view Lawrence Frank’s extension as quote unquote, Ballmer hush money.” (13:39)

5. Smoking Gun and Accountability

• Pablo raises the specter of a whistleblower inside Aspiration, possibly providing the government with documentation linking Ballmer directly to NBA rule breaches (19:45).
  • “If that document exists, that is the closest thing you could ever have to a smoking gun on letterhead under government supervision.” – Pablo Torre (21:55)
• The group debates why this story isn't being more widely covered, citing the overwhelming complexity, risk of losing access, and NBA media’s reluctance to “rock the boat.”
  • Stu Gotz: “Most sports journalists are lazy because they think of what they're covering is the toy store. ... It's too daunting.” (28:42)

6. Journalism, Access, and Industry Realities

• The group discusses the risks and obstacles for sports journalists tackling such stories, from risking access to career prospects, especially in an era of shrinking media resources (33:31).
  • Dan Le Batard: “…do you want to be the troublemaker? ... when you're making your money off of the team that you cover, giving you information?” (33:31)
• Pablo underscores the significance and rarity of this kind of journalism in sports, calling out the broader societal implications and the pressing need for accountability:
  • “Do rules matter in the NBA? Do they matter in society?” (29:13)
  • “It's an insult to your intelligence as a sports fan. And it's also really funny because they tried to get away with it.” (32:21)

7. Meta-Banter and Show Dynamics

• Frequent self-referential humor and ribbing about long-windedness, question etiquette, and the likability of the show’s hosts add levity between dense segments (37:00–40:00).
• Recognition of Amin Elhassan’s “peak” Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions as comic highlights (38:10).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard (on pizza crust behavior as alien):
  “Dan rips the crust off a pizza and eats it. That's huge alien behavior.” (01:51)

• Pablo Torre (on the endless stream of Clippers deals):
  “How many fucking side deals have we made with Kawhi?” – quoting Michael Winger, multiple sources (06:45)

• Greg Cody (on the thoroughness of Pablo’s reporting):
  “It's meticulous, it's got addresses on it on how it is that the circumvention is happening.” (12:57)

• Pablo Torre (on hush money):
  “NBA executives … view Lawrence Frank’s extension as quote unquote, Ballmer hush money.” (13:39)

• Pablo Torre (on the possible smoking gun):
  “If that document exists, that is the closest thing you could ever have to a smoking gun on letterhead under government supervision.” (21:55)

• Stu Gotz (on media hesitance):
  “Most sports journalists are lazy because they think of what they're covering is the toy store. ... It's too daunting.” (28:42)

• Pablo Torre (on the scale of Ballmer’s power):
  “No one has the ability to buy the rest of the [NBA] combined. This guy does.” (29:13)

• Greg Cody (on the narrative reach):
  “Tying all this back to 2017, like, putting the scent out there of, oh, the world's most powerful rich sports owner has wanted something badly for eight years.” (34:29)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:08–02:34 – Alien pizza behavior, familial confessions, and light-hearted banter.
• 03:54–06:45 – Introduction to Pablo Torre’s Clippers exposé and reporting states of play.
• 06:45–13:39 – Deep dive into alleged Clippers side deals, timelines, voices, and documents. Introduction of Aspiration scandal.
• 13:39–16:03 – Lawrence Frank extension, hush money discussion, and extension implications.
• 16:03–24:04 – Story expansion: whistleblowers, impeccably sourced documentation, and risk to Ballmer; the media’s reluctance to engage densely hard reporting.
• 24:04–29:13 – Debate over why the story isn’t a mainstream scandal; difficulty, access, and media economics.
• 29:13–34:29 – Society, capitalism, and Ballmer’s unique position in the NBA; repeated investigations and the scope of alleged violations.
• 34:29–37:00 – Pablo’s investigation, starting points in 2017, and humor about host banter.
• 37:00–41:35 – Show dynamics, Greg Cody’s “parasols,” and fun at the cast’s expense.

Conclusion

Hour 1 offers a thrilling peek behind the curtains of NBA power and subterfuge, anchored by Pablo Torre’s rigorous, bombshell reporting. The Le Batard crew oscillates between sharp comic relief and serious contemplation, highlighting the vital (and often precarious) role of journalism in holding sports’ most powerful actors to account.

If you’re tracking the NBA, power dynamics, or simply love Le Batard’s irreverent dissection of sports culture, this episode delivers a dense, revealing, and frequently hilarious hour of radio.