Kawhi Leonard scores during his time with the Spurs. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jose Garcia
Two-time NBA Champion and former Spur Kawhi Leonard is facing potential heat from more than just bitter San Antonio hoops fans.
An independent sports journalist accused the star of circumventing the league’s salary cap via a fraudulent endorsement deal — and Spurs fans on social media can’t seem to get enough.
“KAWHRMA,” San Antonio Zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow posted on social media platform X.
KAWHRMA! 🐍 #IYKYK #Kawhi #PorVida
— Tim Morrow (@MananaZoo) September 3, 2025
Podcaster and former ESPN host Pablo Torre alleged in a Wednesday episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gave Leonard an extra $28 million salary via an endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt tree-planting service.
The tree planting service, Aspiration, is owned by Ballmer, and the endorsement deal was signed with KL2 Aspire, an LLC owned by Leonard, according to legal documents cited by Torre.
The payments for Leonard’s endorsement deal with Ballmer’s Aspiration were sent directly to Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle and longtime advisor, Torre alleged in his report.
Spurs fans have long blamed Robertson, also known as “Uncle Dennis,” for prompting Leonard’s departure from San Antonio in 2018.
The contract between the tree company and Leonard’s LLC had two eyebrow-raising clauses, according to Torre.
The first allowed Leonard to “decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company,” meaning the player technically didn’t have to do anything for the business in exchange for the $28 million, Torre asserts.
The second clause stated Leonard would only be paid if he remained a Clipper, the independent journalist reported.
Further, Torre said he couldn’t find any evidence that Leonard did work for the company, suggesting the contract was a way to funnel him cash without violating the NBA’s salary cap.
Exclusive: Kawhi Leonard signed a $28M endorsement deal for a “no-show job” with a fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50M from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, according to documents obtained by @PabloTorre.
“It was to circumvent the salary cap,” an inside source says. pic.twitter.com/F6z5pNEkI1
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) September 3, 2025
Leonard’s reported annual salary is $50 million.
Torre further reported that a former Aspiration employee, who went on the record — albeit with a voice modifier to hide his identity — said the scheme was designed as an end run around the salary cap.
NBA officials haven’t publicly commented on Torre’s report. However, Spurs fans are having a field day online commenting on the latest developments.
“I’ll boo Kawhai till the end of time,” NEWS4SA’s David Chancellor tweeted. “But, $28 million to do NOTHING? I ain’t mad at him for that.”
I’ll boo Kawhi till the end of time, but $28 million to do NOTHING?
I ain’t mad at him for that.#KawhiLeonard
— David Chancellor (@DavidChancellor) September 3, 2025
Former KENS 5 Spurs reporter Tom Petrini tweeted he’s all for “plausible deniability” but found the circumstances surrounding the payment questionable.
Love me some plausible deniability but there is nothing plausible about “Company pays Kawhi $28m, more than all their other celebrity endorsements combined, on a contract that didn’t force him to do anything but stay a Clipper, just forgot to ask him to promote their brand.” https://t.co/cWUkvSXmn0
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) September 3, 2025
Meanwhile, Silver and Black fan @SpursRealist tweeted that “worst thing Pop ever did was try to stop those boos,” referencing when former Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich grabbed a microphone and asked fans at the Frost Bank Center to stop harassing Leonard from the stands.
Worst thing Pop ever did was try and stop those boos 👀
— 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 🏀 (@SpursRealist) September 3, 2025
The Clippers could face a fine of up to $4.5 million, loss of a first-round pick and the possibility of being forced to void Leonard’s contract if the allegations of salary cap circumvention prove true, according to league rules.
Stay tuned.
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This article appears in 2025 and Sep 3-17.