SEC Complaint Alleges Clippers Used Aspiration Endorsement to Pay Kawhi Leonard Bonus
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A whistleblower told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023 that the Los Angeles Clippers and bankrupt environmental firm Aspiration funneled money to Kawhi Leonard in violation of NBA salary-cap rules, according to documents revealed on the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out.”
Screenshots of the complaint were shown during a live taping at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The filing accuses Aspiration of diverting funds so Leonard could receive an “incentivized bonus” beyond what the league permits. The podcast did not state whether the SEC has validated the allegation.
The claim focuses on Leonard’s four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration signed in 2022. The NBA has already opened a separate investigation to determine if the contract effectively provided extra compensation. Leonard reportedly never appeared in any of the company’s marketing materials.
Aspiration entered Chapter 11 protection in March 2025. That same month, federal prosecutors charged co-founder Joseph Sanberg with fraud tied to the firm’s finances; he later pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The Clippers’ connection to the struggling startup has also raised questions because team owner Steve Ballmer invested roughly $60 million in Aspiration between 2021 and 2023.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last month the league’s inquiry is still active. “It’s enormously complex,” Silver noted. “You have thousands of documents and multiple witnesses. Our charge is simply to let investigators do the work and report back.”
Source: Hoops Wire
