“Throwing Kawhi under the bus on live TV”: NBA fans react to Steve Ballmer’s admission on $28M cap circumvention allegations

LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer spoke to Ramona Shelburne to address the discussion surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a company in which Ballmer invested.

During his conversation on ESPN on Thursday, Ballmer denied any attempt to circumvent the NBA's salary cap, saying that he did not know about the deal between Leonard and Aspiration.

“I don’t know anything about the court documents on this … The speculation is what it is,” Ballmer said. “I don’t know why they did what they did … These are guys who committed fraud; they conned me. I have no ability to predict why they might’ve done anything they did.”

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A clip of Steve Ballmer’s comments was shared on X by Legion Hoops. Fans reacted to the clip, saying that the Clippers owner had thrown Kawhi Leonard under the bus with his claims. Fans also claimed that Ballmer was playing the 'victim' during his interview.

"No way bro is really throwing Kawhi under the bus on live TV," one fan wrote.

Apart from the $28 million deal reported by Pablo Torre, Boston Celtics beat writer John Karalis reported that Leonard was also owed an additional $20 million through a stock deal. The Clippers star and his team have yet to address the situation publicly.

Steve Ballmer welcomes the NBA's investigation into the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard

Continuing his conversation with Ramona Shelburne, Steve Ballmer said that he would want the NBA to take such matters seriously and investigate any team that faced similar allegations.

"I'd want the league to investigate, take it seriously," Ballmer said. "Salary cap circumvention rules are important to the league, and I'd want the league to investigate."

If Leonard and the Clippers are found guilty of breaking the NBA's salary cap rules, it could have severe consequences for both parties. The Clippers could be stripped of any future first-round draft picks they own, while Leonard could be fined and have his contract voided.

The two-time NBA champion could also be suspended for up to one year. Kawhi Leonard had made a brilliant recovery from his knee injury last season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Clippers. He could now face a non-injury-related setback in light of the NBA's investigation.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan