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Aspiration Partners Inc., the company that reportedly entered a $28 million legal agreement with Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard for a “no-show job”, was running out of money in December 2022, yet still paid Leonard.
The San Francisco-based environmental company laid off employees, including some executives, as it ran out of money. Sports reporter Pablo Torre said that Clippers minority owner Dennis J. Wong made nearly a $2 million investment into Aspiration while the company struggled in a recent episode of his podcast.
Aspiration then paid Leonard $1.75 million of Wong’s investment, fulfilling the required amount that was agreed upon in his endorsement contract with the company while the company was laying off employees.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks toward the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Inglewood, California, on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
The NBA announced last week that it is investigating Leonard’s $28 million endorsement contract to determine if it circumvented the league’s salary cap rules.
Aspiration filed for bankruptcy this year. It listed several creditors at that time, among them the Clippers, who were owed about $30 million, and a company called KL2 Aspire LLC, which was owed $7 million.
Leonard is listed as the manager of that company in California filings. KL is his initials, and 2 is his jersey number.
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LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on May 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made a $50 million investment in Aspiration, and the company and the team announced a $300 million partnership in September 2021. That was about a month after Leonard signed a four-year, $176 million extension with the Clippers.
Ballmer vehemently denied any wrongdoing and welcomed the league’s investigation.
“We did things by the book,” Ballmer told ESPN last week.
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LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) plays in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on May 3, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke after a board of governors meeting in New York — one that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer attended — and said the league will wait to see the report from the outside firm it has hired to run its investigation before taking next steps.
“We’re constantly learning in the league office and again, I’m reserving judgment because I don’t know the facts here,” Silver said. “I don’t know what Kawhi was paid. I don’t know what he did or didn’t do. We’ll leave all that for the investigation.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Clippers and Leonard for a comment on the latest report but did not immediately get a response.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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