Pablo Torre Explains the Steve Ballmer & Kawhi Leonard Scandal
Pablo Torre breaks down how Clippers owner Steve Ballmer allegedly funneled $48 million to Kawhi Leonard through fake endorsement deals, and what the NBA's punishment means for both men.
The gist
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Ballmer's scheme unraveled because he created paper trails across multiple companies instead of keeping it to a single, harder-to-trace transaction.
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The NBA banned Ballmer from his own arena for a year and stripped five first-round picks, all without filing criminal charges.
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Kawhi accepted a light penalty in exchange for giving up arbitration rights, which limits Ballmer's legal options if he fights the league.
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Ballmer threatening litigation is risky because he needs approval from the same 29 owners to ever buy another team.
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