The NBA’s investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and their former sponsor Aspiration took one other flip this week with recent reporting from Pablo Torre. In keeping with Pablo Torre Finds Out, Clippers minority proprietor Dennis J. Wong made a big funding into the failing firm simply days earlier than Kawhi Leonard obtained a late endorsement fee.
Again in 2021, Leonard agreed to a four-year, $28 million endorsement cope with Aspiration, a monetary agency that later collapsed. The contract paid Leonard $7 million a 12 months, in quarterly funds of $1.75 million. The issue? Leonard reportedly by no means promoted the corporate. Torre’s reporting famous it was a “no-show” job, no appearances, no commercials, not even a social media publish.
By the autumn of 2022, Aspiration was spiraling and missed a scheduled fee to Leonard in September. That set off Leonard’s uncle and enterprise supervisor, Dennis Robertson, sometimes called “Uncle Dennis.” He had beforehand raised eyebrows in 2019 by asking for vital perks in free company conferences.
Then got here Wong’s involvement. On December 6, 2022, Aspiration data present a $1.99 million wire from Wong’s funding LLP. 9 days later, Leonard obtained his $1.75 million quarterly verify. That very same day, Aspiration laid off ten % of its remaining staff.
A finance govt with Aspiration advised Torre:
“It’s not a rational funding that somebody would make. So it is extremely surprising to me that $2 million was made as an funding by Dennis Wong, who in my texts is recognized because the ‘Clippers’ and Steve ‘Ballmer’s associate,’ every week earlier than $1.75 million was paid to Kawhi.”
Steve Ballmer has denied any involvement, saying, “I used to be duped” by Aspiration, which additionally value him $50 million in private investments.
Whether or not the league finds a direct connection or not, the timing of Wong’s switch and Leonard’s payday is drawing heavy scrutiny.
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