Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia voiced his support recently for Steve Ballmer amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Ballmer, known across the league as the wealthiest owner in the NBA, has been working hard since he acquired the team to build it into a contender.
However, the league’s recent implementation of strict salary cap and apron rules forced several owners, such as Ballmer, to adhere to certain regulations when paying the players on their roster.
A report soon broke out indicating that Ballmer had paid millions of dollars to a financial service startup called Aspiration, which was directly connected in a paper trail to Leonard as a mysterious endorsement. This put Ballmer under the scrutiny of an ongoing investigation and led to the Suns’ owner discussing the issue.
Mat Ishbia Defends Steve Ballmer’s Character Over the Kawhi Leonard Scandal
After winning the 2019 NBA championship, Leonard was viewed as one of the top players in the world and joined the Clippers, looking to bring a championship to the organization.
Although several issues, such as injuries, prevented the Clippers from doing the same, retaining Leonard’s services over the past half a decade was expensive, to say the least. Leonard is estimated to have made over $420 million with the Clippers via contracts.
He signed a three-year contract worth $103 million in 2019, a four-year contract worth $176.3 million in 2021, and another three-year deal worth $149.5 million in 2024.
This is just the money that he received over the table. The investigation into Aspiration revealed that they paid him $28 million for a suspicious “no-show” endorsement deal. Ballmer’s multiple payments to the organization in times of dire need imply that he was keeping Aspirations going in an attempt to pay Leonard under the table.
Although there is a strong case against Ballmer, Ishbia decided to stand alongside his fellow owner, saying, “I’m not that concerned about it, to be honest. I know Steve Ballmer, and I think he’s a great guy. He says he didn’t do that, and I believe him.”
While it might be considered naive to have unshakable presumptions about anyone’s character, critics may wonder why Ishbia is defending Ballmer and whether the Suns’ owner has any ulterior motive. After all, the Suns had the most overpaid roster across the league until recently, with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker in the lineup.
In any case, Ishbia’s choice to stand alongside Ballmer will do little to affect the investigation against the Clippers’ owner. In fact, Ishbia might just come under scrutiny and find his holdings in companies investigated. But for now, fans are left wondering what the ongoing scandal involving Leonard, Ballmer, and Aspirations will unearth.