Adam Silver Says League Holds Burden of Proof in Clippers Investigation
SLUG: nba-burden-of-proof-clippers-investigation
NEW YORK — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league, not the Los Angeles Clippers, will have to demonstrate wrongdoing in the ongoing probe into Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration.
Speaking after the Board of Governors meeting, Silver emphasized that any potential discipline tied to salary-cap circumvention must be supported by evidence gathered by the league office. “The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” he told reporters. “As with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”
The NBA has retained New York law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz—the group that handled the Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver matters—to oversee the investigation. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported that the review will be comprehensive and has no firm timetable for completion.
Silver said fellow owners are withholding judgment until the legal team presents its findings. “On one hand, of course, I work collectively for the 30 governors,” he noted. “But I have an independent obligation to be the steward of the brand and the integrity of this league.”
Other topics from Silver’s preseason briefing
All-Star Game format: Silver confirmed a new USA-versus-World round-robin format for February’s showcase, saying he hopes it “re-establishes the game’s importance.”
European league speculation: The commissioner denied that discussions about an NBA-run league in Europe would replace potential expansion franchises in Seattle or Las Vegas. “Completely different entities,” he said, adding that domestic expansion “is still being actively looked at.”
Malik Beasley investigation: Silver declined to comment on whether the Milwaukee Bucks guard will face playing restrictions while the NBA and federal authorities probe his alleged role in a gambling scheme.
The league has not announced a timeline for any of the investigations.
Source: Hoops Wire
