Whistleblower alleges Kawhi Leonard was paid $28 million in endorsement deal for fake tree company by Steve Ballmer

Modified Sep 03, 2025 12:21 GMT

NBA: Playoffs-Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets - Source: Imagn — Whistleblower alleges Kawhi Leonard was paid $28 million in endorsement deal for fake tree company - Source: Imagn

Kawhi Leonard has been accused of no-showing a paid endorsement deal with a fake tree company, allegedly owned by LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. According to a whistleblower, Leonard received $28 million in the deal to circumvent the salary cap.

According to Pablo Torre, a company named Aspiration filed for bankruptcy and was later revealed to be a fraudulent tree-planting company established by Ballmer.

About the author

Rob Andrew Lo is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field. Rob studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines and his love for sports made this an obvious career to pursue.

Rob's favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He grew up watching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and his admiration for them left not only a lasting impression but solidified his fandom.

When not working, Rob loves to play basketball. If he isn't watching or writing about basketball, he can probably be found watching pro wrestling.

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Edited by Rob Andrew Lo