Fresh financial records have surfaced linking Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer to an additional investment in Aspiration, the troubled financial firm at the center of the NBA’s ongoing investigation.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Ballmer made a $9.999 million investment in March 2023, just months after Clippers vice chairman Dennis Wong injected capital into the company. The funding came during a period when Aspiration was laying off employees and struggling to stay afloat.
The revelations add to concerns about Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement contract with the firm. On Pablo Torre Finds Out, journalist Pablo Torre reported that Wong’s DEA88 Investments wired nearly $2 million into Aspiration in December 2022. Nine days later, Leonard’s KL2 Aspire LLC received a $1.75 million payment from the company.
The timing of the transactions has drawn scrutiny. Torre noted that Wong’s daughter worked as a project manager at Aspiration during this period, raising questions about how much he knew about the company’s financial struggles. Wong has declined requests for comment.
The Clippers, however, issued a statement defending their position, saying: “The details of our relationship with Aspiration are under NBA investigation, but it is clear the company was a house of cards that defrauded Steve and many others. We look forward to sharing the facts with the league and providing them with all the information they need.”
Ballmer had already committed $50 million to Aspiration before these new details surfaced. His second investment in 2023 came at a time when financial insiders considered additional funding “shocking,” given the company’s rapid decline. Employees were reportedly laid off the same day Leonard received his payment.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the matter during the Board of Governors meeting in New York, emphasizing the league’s responsibility to complete a thorough investigation before determining any penalties.
The legal review is being led by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, one of the league’s outside law firms. Investigators are examining whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules by indirectly funding Leonard’s endorsement deal through Aspiration.
League insiders believe the investigation may result in fines or the loss of a second-round draft pick, unless evidence emerges tying the payments directly to negotiations between the Clippers and Leonard.
