Pablo Torre led the charge on the reporting of the bombshell Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers scandal.
On Wednesday, Torre’s reporting once again made headlines, as the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer were hit with a historic punishment. The league confirmed that the Clippers broke the rules by:
- Affirmatively initiating off-court income opportunities between Mr. Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics, and Lockton Insurance;
- Facilitating endorsement agreements between these companies and Mr. Leonard;
- Inducing the companies to enter into these agreements by offering them business from the team;
- Paying personal expenses on behalf of Mr. Leonard and his representatives; and
- Failing to report improper solicitations for off-court income opportunities made on Mr. Leonard’s behalf through his then-business manager, Dennis Robertson.
As a result, the Clippers were hit with historic, groundbreaking punishment:
- The Clippers shall forfeit five first-round draft picks, one in each of the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA Drafts.
- The Clippers are fined $30 million.
- Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities, for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard, and for his failure to create conditions under which his organization abided by the NBA’s circumvention rules.
- Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker is suspended without pay for one year for being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators.
- Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank is suspended without pay for six months for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.
- The Clippers organization and personnel are subject to a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office for a period of five years.
- In connection with his violations, Mr. Leonard is required to pay the league $700,000.
- Mr. Robertson is banned from conducting business or otherwise engaging with NBA teams and their affiliates on behalf of or with respect to any player, employee, or other league or team personnel for a period of five years.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
Former NBA player Ty Lawson had previously called out Torre and his reporting. He looks foolish now, though.
“So does Pablo Torre get any fine , backlash, sued or fired for Trying to ruin people’s reputation/ life or Pablo can just say oops my bad and sweep it under the rug 🧐🤔🧐🤔 smh,” he shared on X.
Ty Lawson’s tweet came on August 17.
Roughly two weeks later, the Clippers were hit with a historic, franchise-altering punishment.
Score one for Pablo Torre.
