Kawhi "no-show job" that paid $28M

[mtcan]

With Ballmer's unlimited wealth, there are unlimited ways he could get back at David Silver. You have to wonder if Silver feels threatened by the position he finds himself in. Not just the professional cost of punishing a top owner in the league, but the personal risk. Ballmer may just be 1 team's owner, but his overall power >> than Silver and maybe the NBA itself.

Ballmer is just 1 of 30 owners. The NBA is bigger than just the Clippers. Being an owner is a privilege, not a right. Ask Donald Sterling what happens when you **** around being a cheapskate and a bad owner until a point the league has had enough.

I think Ballmer should be more worried about what else comes out from the federal investigation into Aspiration especially since at least 2 high level execs/founders have been indicted and have pled guilty to wire fraud.

[Potential]

Kawhi really destroyed the Clippers franchise. Forced them to trade SGA, Jalen Williams pick and 100 more picks for his best friend PG and now they gotta watch OKC win titles lmao

[brownbobcat]

With Ballmer's unlimited wealth, there are unlimited ways he could get back at David Silver. You have to wonder if Silver feels threatened by the position he finds himself in. Not just the professional cost of punishing a top owner in the league, but the personal risk. Ballmer may just be 1 team's owner, but his overall power >> than Silver and maybe the NBA itself.

Ballmer is just 1 of 30 owners. The NBA is bigger than just the Clippers. Being an owner is a privilege, not a right. Ask Donald Sterling what happens when you **** around being a cheapskate and a bad owner until a point the league has had enough.

I think Ballmer should be more worried about what else comes out from the federal investigation into Aspiration especially since at least 2 high level execs/founders have been indicted and have pled guilty to wire fraud.

The NBA got Sterling paid $2 billion, they didn't exactly put him in Guantanamo.

[tanuki1031]

What a GOAT journalism run by Pablo.

This is like Jim Carrey's break out '94 run when he ripped off Ace Ventura (Jordon Hudson), The Mask (NFL/PA collusion scandal), and Dumb and Dumber (Clips, Kawhi, Aspiration fraud) in the calendar year.

[SharoneWright]

With Ballmer's unlimited wealth, there are unlimited ways he could get back at David Silver. You have to wonder if Silver feels threatened by the position he finds himself in. Not just the professional cost of punishing a top owner in the league, but the personal risk. Ballmer may just be 1 team's owner, but his overall power >> than Silver and maybe the NBA itself.

Ballmer is just 1 of 30 owners. The NBA is bigger than just the Clippers. Being an owner is a privilege, not a right. Ask Donald Sterling what happens when you **** around being a cheapskate and a bad owner until a point the league has had enough.

I think Ballmer should be more worried about what else comes out from the federal investigation into Aspiration especially since at least 2 high level execs/founders have been indicted and have pled guilty to wire fraud.

There's a chance I didn't make myself clear.

I'm not talking about how powerful "the Clippers" are relative to the NBA (or Silver). I'm talking about how powerful a cutthroat business man and documented liar worth 151 Billion dollars is. Silver is lying awake at night hoping Ballmer doesn't make this personal, otherwise the punishment for this cheating should be as severe as possible and a no-brainer.

[WaltFrazier]

If the Raps and MLSE had acceded to most of uncle Dennis's demands, not the part ownership of the Leafs but the endorsement parts, and he stayed for a year, or 1 plus 1, how would Raptors fans have felt about that? Compared to the indignation about the Clippers. If stuff came out later I mean.

[StopitLeo]

The more interesting part is Aspiration. Oaktree Capital Management was heavily involved in 2 rounds of financing for this fraud, totaling at least $450M. Oaktree is 62% owned by Brookfield, our recently elected PM's previous employer. Not a good look.

I find Aspiration interesting only because it is a classic VC ponzi-esque scheme all the way to its SPAC merger. It was a company that provided an aura of legitimacy but could easily be used in the way that the Clippers allegedly did.

Brookfield's ownership in Oaktree isn't that consequential when you consider that $450M represents 0.00045% of the 1 Trillion dollars in assets that that Brookfield has under management.

Unless Ballmer or the Clippers left a paper trail it could be tough for the league to hand down a "stern" punishment. This is despite the fact that Kawhi had a contract with Aspiration where he explicitly wasn't required to do anything AND his compensation was tied to being/remaining a Clipper, terms that are so sketchy.

$450m is 0.045% of a trillion. Not THAT many zeroes.

You're right, I didn't move the decimal when I wrote the %. It's still miniscule.

[WaltFrazier]

With Ballmer's unlimited wealth, there are unlimited ways he could get back at David Silver. You have to wonder if Silver feels threatened by the position he finds himself in. Not just the professional cost of punishing a top owner in the league, but the personal risk. Ballmer may just be 1 team's owner, but his overall power >> than Silver and maybe the NBA itself.

Ballmer is just 1 of 30 owners. The NBA is bigger than just the Clippers. Being an owner is a privilege, not a right. Ask Donald Sterling what happens when you **** around being a cheapskate and a bad owner until a point the league has had enough.

I think Ballmer should be more worried about what else comes out from the federal investigation into Aspiration especially since at least 2 high level execs/founders have been indicted and have pled guilty to wire fraud.

There's a chance I didn't make myself clear.

I'm not talking about how powerful "the Clippers" are relative to the NBA (or Silver). I'm talking about how powerful a cutthroat business man and documented liar worth 151 Billion dollars is. Silver is lying awake at night hoping Ballmer doesn't make this personal, otherwise the punishment for this cheating should be as severe as possible and a no-brainer.

What kind of harm are you envisioning Ballmer could do? I assume you don't mean hiring a hitman. I'm not doubting he could do things to Silver, just curious what you mean for example.

[C Court]

If the Clippers, Kawhi and Uncle Dennis get away with this with a slap on the wrist, then the NBA CBA isn't worth the paper its written on.

It becomes open season for teams, players and agents to find creative ways to funnel secret multi-million dollar payments to players in order to circumvent the cap.

There has to be in the range of 25 owners or more who have a vested interest in not allowing cap circumvention to become a tool to sign free agents and retain players. Even the Lakers don't want this (not just small market teams), which is why LAL refused to cave to Kawhi's demands in 2019.

[mtcan]

As Bruce Arthur noted when he was on H&W pod...how did Ballmer make all that money when he was Microsoft? Microsoft was involved in a huge antitrust lawsuit that was settled with him as CEO. He has a history of operating at the edge of what is considered legal in his business practices.

[Zeno]

If the Raps and MLSE had acceded to most of uncle Dennis's demands, not the part ownership of the Leafs but the endorsement parts, and he stayed for a year, or 1 plus 1, how would Raptors fans have felt about that? Compared to the indignation about the Clippers. If stuff came out later I mean.

In this hypothetical, did we win a title or two more? Or did we trade Kawhi for something after a year. In the end, I am not happy with the idea of the organization breaking the rules regardless but the outcome would definitely impact how the degree to which I condemned the rules breaking. lol. But regardless, the idea that the cba, given full compliance levels the playing field is a silly construct. As the salary cap and salaries explode the impact of tax differences in markets increases too. Then there are of course market size differences and legit sponsorship opportunities and quality of life differences(including weather of course) that impact how much a player wants to be paid and is willing to accept. The playing field is very slanted so I think I’d view the Kings circumventing the cap more kindly than say the Heat.

[WuTang_CMB]

pretty embarrasing from all the espn people in response to this. i get the business of it and wanting to sweep under the rug but now they just look foolish

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[PushDaRock]

If the Clippers, Kawhi and Uncle Dennis get away with this with a slap on the wrist, then the NBA CBA isn't worth the paper its written on.

It becomes open season for teams, players and agents to find creative ways to funnel secret multi-million dollar payments to players in order to circumvent the cap.

There has to be in the range of 25 owners or more who have a vested interest in not allowing cap circumvention to become a tool to sign free agents and retain players. Even the Lakers don't want this (not just small market teams), which is why LAL refused to cave to Kawhi's demands in 2019.

They need someone to fall on the sword. My guess is both Dennis' are the ones to do it.

[djsunyc]

imho, it's starting to look like kawhi's fallout with the spurs didn't have that much to do with his injury.

[mtcan]

imho, it's starting to look like kawhi's fallout with the spurs didn't have as much to do with his injury.

It is more like Uncle Dennis withholding services until they pay up. What is clear is that Uncle Dennis is pulling the strings...chasing after payments and likely also deciding when Kawhi was to play or sit and I wouldn't be surprised if he was threatening the Clippers that his nephew would sit out long term if the payments from Aspiration were to stop...which likely prompted the investments from Dennis Wong.

[NBA Sheady]

What a GOAT journalism run by Pablo.

This is like Jim Carrey's break out '94 run when he ripped off Ace Ventura (Jordon Hudson), The Mask (NFL/PA collusion scandal), and Dumb and Dumber (Clips, Kawhi, Aspiration fraud) in the calendar year.

Have you seen any media on the new mask movie? It looks sick.

[PushDaRock]

It would be hilarious if both sides (Clippers & Kawhi/Uncle Dennis) decide to "snitch" on the other to try and save themselves here. A little prisoner's dilemma lol

[Jerry Lucas]

Wtf

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[tanuki1031]

What a GOAT journalism run by Pablo.

This is like Jim Carrey's break out '94 run when he ripped off Ace Ventura (Jordon Hudson), The Mask (NFL/PA collusion scandal), and Dumb and Dumber (Clips, Kawhi, Aspiration fraud) in the calendar year.

Have you seen any media on the new mask movie? It looks sick.

No, I have not because I am a coward and now you have me curious.

[grimlock]

Wtf

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NBA is cooked. Silvers press conference should have been the complete opposite of this.
Owners will vote him out.