Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In 2025, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the team called it “absurd” to suggest that his investment in Aspiration was intended to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard. A year later, the NBA said an independent investigation found salary-cap circumvention involving the Clippers and Leonard, and imposed major penalties. Ballmer later said the team would comply with those penalties while maintaining that disagreements about the findings remained.
What Ballmer called “absurd” in 2025
The original dispute centered on a reported $28 million endorsement agreement between Leonard and financial-services company Aspiration in 2022. GeekWire reported on September 3, 2025, that Pablo Torre had reported on the deal and on questions about whether it was used to circumvent the NBA salary cap. The Clippers and Ballmer denied that allegation. Their statement said: “The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd.” GeekWire’s 2025 report records the statement and the allegation as it was then being reported.
That was the team’s denial at the time, not an NBA finding. The league’s later investigation reached a different conclusion about the Clippers’ handling of Leonard’s off-court income opportunities.
What the NBA said its investigation found
On September 2, 2026, the NBA announced that an independent investigation by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz had found salary-cap circumvention violations involving the Clippers and Leonard. The league said the team initiated and facilitated off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance. According to the NBA, the Clippers induced companies to enter agreements by offering team business, paid personal expenses for Leonard and representatives, and failed to report improper solicitations made through Leonard’s then-business manager Dennis Robertson. These are the league’s stated findings, not a separate court judgment. The NBA’s announcement is available in its September 2, 2026 release.
#1 Best Overall
- 100% polyester
- Screen printed graphics on the front
- Blank on the back
- Embroidered jock tag on the lower front
- Officially licensed by the NBA
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.” The league described the matter as involving both rule violations and institutional failures.
Penalties announced by the NBA
| Person or organization | NBA action announced September 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | $30 million fine and forfeiture of five first-round picks, covering the 2029 through 2033 drafts |
| Steve Ballmer | One-year suspension from league and team activities |
| Kawhi Leonard | $700,000 payment to the league |
| Gillian Zucker, business-operations president | One-year suspension |
| Lawrence Frank, basketball-operations president | Six-month suspension |
| Clippers | Five years of compliance monitoring |
| Dennis Robertson | Five-year ban on doing business with NBA teams and affiliates on behalf of league or team personnel |
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said the penalties were final and binding. The NBA also reserved the possibility of further action if it received new relevant information. The league’s announcement gives the terms of the sanctions.
Rank #2
- 100% Double Knit Mesh Polyester
- Heat applied graphics
- Wicks away moisture
- NBA Swingman jersey, Player name and number on back
- Officially licensed NBA product
Ballmer’s later response and the team’s disagreement
After the penalties, the Clippers rejected the NBA’s findings and called the investigation biased. In a statement posted September 14, 2026, Ballmer said the team had told the NBA it would comply and had paid the fine. He also apologized for the distraction and distress, while saying disagreements about the report’s findings remained. His statement said: “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward.” Ballmer’s statement confirms compliance; it does not say that he withdrew the disagreement.
The distinction is important: paying the fine and accepting the league’s penalties is not the same as conceding that every finding is correct. The Associated Press reported on the sanctions and the competing accounts in its coverage of the NBA action.
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Rank #3
- Officially licensed by the NBA
- Authentic jersey fabric with heat sealed graphics that resemble the player's on-court jersey
- Rib-knit collar
- Woven jock tag at lower hem
- NBA logoman at back center neck
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
