On September 4th, Beijing time, multiple media outlets reported that a $28 million endorsement deal signed by NBA superstar and Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was suspected of being a shady contract. The media outlets claimed that this was a sham endorsement, and that the agreement stipulated that Leonard must remain with the Clippers to receive the full $28 million; if he switched teams or retired, the contract would be terminated early. Furthermore, the company involved is linked to Clippers owner Ballmer.

The NBA reportedly stated that it is aware of media reports regarding the Clippers' alleged misconduct and is currently investigating the matter.

The Clippers and their owner, Steve Ballmer, have reportedly denied the allegations that Leonard received $28 million for a non-existent position. "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers engaged in any misconduct related to their relationship with Aspiration," the Clippers said in a statement. "Any assertion to the contrary is demonstrably false: the team terminated its partnership with Aspiration during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted. Prior to the government's investigation, we were not aware of any wrongdoing by Aspiration or its co-founders. The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to cooperate fully with law enforcement."

The NBA investigated Leonard's agent, Dennis Robertson, in 2019 and found that the Clippers had not provided him with any illegal benefits in their pursuit of the free agent.

The NBA salary cap is a cap on team salaries set by the league to maintain a balanced team structure. It aims to limit the excessive spending of wealthy teams and ensure fair competition. The cap is adjusted annually based on the league's total revenue. The league also imposes a luxury tax, with teams exceeding it subject to substantial fines to further curb excessive spending. The NBA salary cap for the 2025-26 season is $154.647 million, and the luxury tax threshold is $187.895 million.

Kawhi Leonard, born on June 29, 1991, in Riverside, California, is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard has been selected to the All-NBA Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Star team multiple times throughout his career. He led the Spurs and Raptors to championships in 2014 and 2019, respectively, and was named Finals MVP. In 2022, Leonard was named one of the NBA's 75 Greatest Players.

According to The Paper, in January of last year, the Clippers officially announced that Leonard had reached a three-year contract extension with the team worth $152.4 million (approximately RMB 1.09 billion), extending his contract with the team through the 2026-2027 season. The contract extension pays $52 million in the first year, with the next two years each worth around $50 million (approximately 357 million RMB). There are no player options.

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