Pablo Torre: Kawhi/Clippers/Ballmer/Aspiration Thread (part 2)

[Bucks4005]

So what does the NBA vetting and approving the initial deal with the Clippers have to do with a secret Kawhi Leonard deal? Like, you can argue maybe this and maybe that, but are they, in essence, two separate deals? Like, if I buy groceries from one Pick N Save but then rob another. Like, I’m dealing with the same company, but what one interaction entails shouldn’t affect how the other is viewed, should it? How does circumstance one actually affect the other? Someone tell me I’m wrong if I am, because I legitimate don’t see what that should do with the NBA investigation into Kawhi. Like, the NBA vetted this deal. Ok, did they do the same for the Kawhi deal? No? That doesn’t this current deal doesnt matter or mean **** in terms of the investigation, does it?

If anything, doesn’t it kinda illustrate the Clippers did this deal knowing it was illegal? Like, we report this deal with this company to the NBA, but we keep the other one secret? Because Kawhi deal was a secret from the NBA, was it not? So the Clipper said “we wanna make this deal with this company” but then conveniently forgot to inform the NBA of this sponsorship deal?

Again, if I’m wrong, let me know. Or if there’s implications I’m not seeing. I have no idea where this thing could end up.

[mkot]

Usually if someone is under investigation he should at least be suspended from any team activity include attending a game. But here we have Kawhi playing, and Ballmer still sitting court side.

It's becoming more likely nothing will happen to Ballmer, Kawhi and the Clippers. Teams will just have to keep finding more creative ways to circumvent the salary cap.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Usually if someone is under investigation he should at least be suspended from any team activity include attending a game. But here we have Kawhi playing, and Ballmer still sitting court side.

It's becoming more likely nothing will happen to Ballmer, Kawhi and the Clippers. Teams will just have to keep finding more creative ways to circumvent the salary cap.

They already said don’t expect an update until after ASW so I’m not sure why people expect consequences now. The Clippers are hosting ASW in Intuit. The league isn’t going to mess with it.

[levon]

In 2021 the league would have no reason to veto a Clippers-Aspiration sponsorship deal. I don't understand why anyone would consider that newsworthy. It means nothing for the Kawhi case.

[BruttoNostra]

In 2021 the league would have no reason to veto a Clippers-Aspiration sponsorship deal. I don't understand why anyone would consider that newsworthy. It means nothing for the Kawhi case.

This.
It's like this headline is an empty news that might just "normalize" the whole Clippers status in the eyes of an average fan who only consumes ESPN and doesn't care about details or facts.

[RyderMike]

In 2021 the league would have no reason to veto a Clippers-Aspiration sponsorship deal. I don't understand why anyone would consider that newsworthy. It means nothing for the Kawhi case.

I think it's more doubling down on exposing Adam Silver when he at first said I never heard of them, then his correction of I was aware of the brand. No, you actively approved and were involved in the sponsorship process. Sure they appeared legit at that time and you could've been defrauded too by the fake reports they had, but don't deny your awareness of the deal.

[pepe1991]

In 2021 the league would have no reason to veto a Clippers-Aspiration sponsorship deal. I don't understand why anyone would consider that newsworthy. It means nothing for the Kawhi case.

This.
It's like this headline is an empty news that might just "normalize" the whole Clippers status in the eyes of an average fan who only consumes ESPN and doesn't care about details or facts.

I guess this is published to show perspective of Silver who is liar.

“I’d frankly never heard of the company Aspiration before. And I’d never heard a whiff of anything around an endorsement deal with Kawhi, or anything around engagement with the Los Angeles Clippers. So it was all new to me.”

Damage control :

“If I said I never heard of it, I meant in the context of the accusations here. I mean, I certainly was aware of the brand,” Silver said Tuesday at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.

This is already established fact. He is incompetent or dirty, or most likely both.

With every new angle, it gets more obvious that league is money factory more than sports league. Where final product, basketball, is just there to entertain us, fools, as real players are there to launder money.

[inonba]

Watch on YouTube

[Dr Aki]

Mark Cuban is basically trying to filibuster and saying we don't know, we don't know, we don't know, hence how can you say that it was for cap circumvention?

[Calvin Klein]

No, thanks...I'm not wasting any more time listening to Mark **** Cuban

[nomansland]

The NBA is circling the wagons at least until the All-Star game takes place in LA. None of the owners wants this to be a stain on the league, even if they're secretly pissed that Ballmer did this. And there surely are a bunch of others who did the exact same thing to some degree or another.

This is going to take a long time to get sorted out, but unless and until a bunch of other owners start complaining, nothing consequential will result.

[Curmudgeon]

The NBA is circling the wagons at least until the All-Star game takes place in LA. None of the owners wants this to be a stain on the league, even if they're secretly pissed that Ballmer did this. And there surely are a bunch of others who did the exact same thing to some degree or another.

This is going to take a long time to get sorted out, but unless and until a bunch of other owners start complaining, nothing consequential will result.

Agent for star player: "OK, we've agreed on salary and other matters per the contract, but what about a marketing deal? I want another 25 million annually, off balance sheet, as they say."

General Manager "But that would be cap circumvention."

Agent: Meh, the Clippers got caught red handed and got a slap in the wrist. Besides, we're not piggy like Kawhi was. We don't insist on a payment for doing absolutely nothing. My guy will go plant a few trees, market your product, whatever. We can do the commercials from Grand Cay in the Bahamas during the off season. We'll give you grounds for plausible deniability."

General Manager: Your client may suffer if the league imposes sanctions."

Agent: "That's a good point. Come to think of it, to compensate us for the risk, we should be getting at least $35 million."

General Manager: "We're not going to play that game."

Agent: OK, but we're talking to three other teams who think they are one player away from being contenders. You have my mobile number, give me a call if you change your mind. And if you have the time we can also discuss marketing deals for some of my other clients."

General Manager: "Well, I've talked to the other general managers around the league and none of us are willing to enter into these marketing deals."

Agent: "So are they willing to face accusations of collusion against the players, like the NFL's secret agreement to limit guaranteed contracts? Steve Ballmer himself said that these marketing deals were absolutely legal under the CBA. And the NBAPA will make sure they are legal and that owners are punished for collusion when we negotiate the next CBA. If a college player can monetize his name, image and likeness, professionals should have the same right, salary cap or no salary cap."

[Bucks4005]

The NBA is circling the wagons at least until the All-Star game takes place in LA. None of the owners wants this to be a stain on the league, even if they're secretly pissed that Ballmer did this. And there surely are a bunch of others who did the exact same thing to some degree or another.

This is going to take a long time to get sorted out, but unless and until a bunch of other owners start complaining, nothing consequential will result.

Agent for star player: "OK, we've agreed on salary and other matters per the contract, but what about a marketing deal? I want another 25 million annually, off balance sheet, as they say."

General Manager "But that would be cap circumvention."

Agent: Meh, the Clippers got caught red handed and got a slap in the wrist. Besides, we're not piggy like Kawhi was. We don't insist on a payment for doing absolutely nothing. My guy will go plant a few trees, market your product, whatever. We can do the commercials from Grand Cay in the Bahamas during the off season. We'll give you grounds for plausible deniability."

General Manager: Your client may suffer if the league imposes sanctions."

Agent: "That's a good point. Come to think of it, to compensate us for the risk, we should be getting at least $35 million."

General Manager: "We're not going to play that game."

Agent: OK, but we're talking to three other teams who think they are one player away from being contenders. You have my mobile number, give me a call if you change your mind. And if you have the time we can also discuss marketing deals for some of my other clients."

General Manager: "Well, I've talked to the other general managers around the league and none of us are willing to enter into these marketing deals."

Agent: "So are willing to face accusations of collusion against the players, like the NFL's secret agreement to limit guaranteed contracts? Steve Ballmer himself said that these marketing deals were absolutely legal under the CBA. And the NBAPA will make sure they are legal and that owners are punished for collusion when we negotiate the next CBA. If a college player can monetize his name, image and likeness, professionals should have the same right, salary cap or no salary cap."

I mean, some small difference, but isn’t this basically the conversation the Raptors had with Kawhi?

[Curmudgeon]

I mean, some small difference, but isn’t this basically the conversation the Raptors had with Kawhi?

Close, except the Raptors didn't know that the penalty for being caught would be a mere slap on the wrist.

[jvsimonetti0514]

I’ve listened to about 50 minutes of the pod and Cuban hasn’t poked a single hole into any of Pablo argument. He’s basically the interrupting and filibustering the whole time. If this Balmers strongest defender he’s cooked.

Edit: salute to Pablo for keeping it professional and not just laughing in Cubans face. This was seriously an embarrassing performance by him. It was like Pablo was arguing with a really high guy. Guess Ai isn’t smart enough to defeat facts of this case.

[raleigh]

Cuban's argument is mostly emotional and not particularly compelling:

"I've been wrongfully accused in the past so I must defend others like me from the same thing."

For one, billionaires can afford to defend themselves.

But, more importantly, Ballmer doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt because of 2015, a reality that Cuban would've factored in if this weren't so emotional an issue for him.

[anotherhomer]

At this point, nba is just running out the clock here and moving on

[Invictus88]

At this point, nba is just running out the clock here and moving on

On who? The owners? The fans? The media?

What is this time threshold you speak of that once reached magically any or all of the above will forget about this?

[Invictus88]

But, more importantly, Ballmer doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt because of 2015, a reality that Cuban would've factored in if this weren't so emotional an issue for him.

So even though Torre brought up that very fact directly (about 2015) that somehow Cuban was emotional and it just bounced off of him like teflon?

Cuban has his mind made up. He has his own narrative. It's clear it doesn't really matter whether or not evidence is presented to him to the contrary; however compelling that evidence is. Maybe he becomes emotional when things are said that are counter to his narrative or don't fit into it nicely. But it's simply a conscious choice not to re-evaluate.

[AleksandarN]

Watch on YouTube

I want a woman that loves me as much as Cuban loves Ballmer