Make California Post a Preferred Source Kawhi Leonard may no longer be with the Clippers – or even be in the United States – but the scrutiny surrounding him has followed him north of the border.
Pablo Torre, the Pulitzer-winning journalist whose reporting about the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention sparked an investigation by the NBA, released another episode of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” related to Leonard’s deal with Boingo Wireless.
Boingo Wireless was one of the four companies with endorsement deals with Leonard that were at the center of the NBA’s investigation.
Torre and his show reported that as part of his $1.9-million payment from Boingo, the lone “work” Leonard did as part of his contract was an hour-long photo-op with members of the U.S. military at Camp Pendleton in 2022
A former Boingo executive, who was granted anonymity, described the arrangement as “really gross” to Torre.
Leonard, who’s since been traded back to the Raptors, was asked by a Toronto media member whether he keeps up with Torre’s reporting.
“No, I don’t follow it,” Leonard responded. “I don’t know what to think of it all, [or] really, expect. I’m not really entertained by it.”
Leonard started his Raptors media day availability on Monday by saying he wasn’t going to discuss the NBA’s investigation that found the Clippers broke the league’s salary cap rules.
In addition to a $30-million fine to the franchise, the team being stripped of five first-round draft picks (2029-33) and Clippers owner/CEO Steve Ballmer being suspended for a year, president of business operations Gillian Zucker (one year) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (six months) were also suspended for their roles in the scandal involving Leonard.
Leonard was forced to pay the NBA $700,000 for restitution for improper benefits provided by the Clippers, while his uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings for five years.
“Like I said before, the NBA did their job,” Leonard said. “The PA did their job. I don’t know. I don’t even know what [Torre is] talking about.”
Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission opened investigations into the Clippers over allegations it circumvented the NBA’s salary cap for Leonard.
