Kawhi Leonard's Endorsement Deal Under Scrutiny: CEO Denies 'No-Show' Claims

Endorsement Contract Controversy

In the ongoing discussions regarding Kawhi Leonard's endorsement deal with Aspiration, former CEO Andrei Cherny has firmly denied allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers star signed a "no-show" contract. According to Cherny, the contract in question included "three pages of extensive obligations" that Leonard was required to fulfill. In his statement to The Athletic, which he also shared on X, Cherny emphasized that Aspiration held the right to terminate the contract should Leonard fail to meet these obligations.

Rebuttal to Reporting Claims

The discussion became more heated when journalist Pablo Torre responded to Cherny's remarks regarding the lack of communication from reporters. Torre pointed out on X that his team had contacted Cherny, requesting an on-camera interview and sent him a range of detailed questions, which Cherny claimed were lost in his spam filter.

Details of Leonard's Endorsement Deal

Leonard's endorsement deal with Aspiration was revealed in Torre's Sept. 3 report, citing it as a $28 million contract with the environmentally-focused company that Clippers governor Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in April 2022. Some sources speculated that this investment was a strategy to work around the NBA salary cap.

Investigation into the Clippers

On Sept. 11, Torre followed up with new findings indicating that Clippers vice chairman Donald Wong invested $1.99 million into Aspiration in December 2022, despite the company's financial struggles. Notably, a $1.75 million quarterly payment to Leonard was reported to be overdue.

In response to the situation, Ballmer denied any attempts by the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap, expressing his desire for the NBA to conduct a thorough investigation. He stated, "Salary cap circumvention rules are important to the league, and I'd want the league to investigate." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also commented, stating he had "never heard a whiff of anything" related to cap circumvention, although an investigation into the matter has been initiated.