Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard says he doesn’t follow the podcasts and reporting of Pablo Torre, the sports journalist that broke the scandal that landed the player and the Los Angeles Clippers in hot water.
Torre was the podcaster who revealed a scandal where the Clippers paid millions of dollars to Leonard in the form of no-show endorsement deals that the NBA determined was a circumvention of the salary cap.
The league hit the team hard with their punishments, which included a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer.
A deal to move Leonard to the Raptors was in limbo leading up to the announcement of the sanctions.
On Wednesday, a reporter in Toronto noted that another episode of the journalist’s show, ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out,’ was released and asked the two-time Finals MVP if he pays attention to the episodes.
‘No, I don’t follow it, you know,’ Leonard replied. ‘I don’t know what to think of it or really expect.
Raptors star Kawhi Leonard says he’s ‘not entertained’ by the work of sports writer Pablo Torre
Torre was the journalist that broke the scandal where the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the NBA’s salary cap rules to pay Leonard through no-show endorsement deals
Leonard was subsequently traded to the Raptors after that deal stalled before the league’s investigation had concluced and punishments had been doled out to the Clippers
‘I’m not entertained by it, so, like I said before, the NBA did their job, uh, the [NB]PA did their job, and, yeah, I don’t know. I don’t even know what he’s talking about, so it’s hard for me to [follow].’
Leonard was dealt to the Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-rounders.
His deal was delayed as the NBA investigated the Clippers’ deals with Leonard and then punished the team.
The league stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, suspended Ballmer and then fined him $30 million due to the improper payments.
In response to the punishment, Ballmer and the Clippers are weighing a potential lawsuit or asking a judge to issue a restraining order, two sources told the Times.
Meanwhile, in a statement of his own amid the Clippers investigation, Leonard said: ‘Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am.
‘I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.
‘I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.
Kawhi Leonard is returning to Toronto after the Raptors finalized a trade with the Clippers
Leonard led the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship during his season in Toronto
‘For 15 years, my priority has been giving everything to my family, the game, and those I share the court with. As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate.’
The trade marks an emotional return for Leonard, who cemented legendary status in Toronto during his lone season with the franchise in 2018-19.
Leonard led the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship that year, capturing Finals MVP honors before departing in free agency for his hometown Clippers.
Now 35, the six-time All-Star will reunite with the franchise where he achieved his greatest triumph, sliding into a retooled Toronto core alongside Scottie Barnes as the Raptors look to reassert themselves as Eastern Conference title contenders.
The NBA has been investigating allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to Leonard through an endorsement deal with companies including Aspiration, a green banking firm that has since gone bankrupt as its co-founder Joseph Sandberg admitted to defrauding investors out of $248 million.
‘The investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules,’ read the league statement.
The trade marks an emotional return for Leonard, who cemented legendary status in Toronto
The NBA recently stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, issued a $30 million fine to billionaire owner Steve Ballmer and suspended the former Microsoft CEO for one year
Although he was not suspended, Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits he and his uncle/representative Dennis Robertson received from the Clippers and other organizations. However, the 35-year-old Leonard will not have any contracts voided by the league as a result of the NBA investigation.
Robertson, meanwhile, has been banned from any business dealings with the NBA.
Additionally, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been suspended without pay for six months while president of business operations Gillian Zucker got a one-year ban.
All punishments are binding, according to the league and players’ union.
