September 11Sep 11 Pablo dropped another pod this morning. It’s…..not good for the Clippers. Probably going under the radar with everything that’s going down in this crazy world.
September 11Sep 11 Was kawai underpaid by market value? 3-4 years ago was 30-35 million market for the top nba players? I don’t remember because we’re now in the 60-70M per year. Should he have been earning in the 40s, near 50?
September 11Sep 11 Pablo dropped another pod this morning. It’s…..not good for the Clippers. Probably going under the radar with everything that’s going down in this crazy world. Holy shit. Balmer got scammed.
September 11Sep 11 This latest pod blows it fucking through the wall. It was all orchestrated. Take the all-star game awayVoid Kahwi's contract Suspend Kahwi 1-2 years Suspend Balmer and Wong for 1-2 years Strip all draft picks for 8-10 yearsTake league control of the team
September 11Sep 11 Kawhi was owed 1.75 million. Uncle Dennis was constantly calling asking for it. The company was broke and couldn't pay. On Dec 6th, Clipper minority owner Dennis Wong (guy who build the Intuit Dome and Balmer's college roommate) wrote a check to Aspiration for 1.99m. On Dec 15th, they paid Kahwi 1.75m. On Dec 15th, Aspiration also laid off 10% of workforce.
September 11Sep 11 Yeah, I think I’m gonna have to rethink my opinion on this and start to side with @ztejas. Pablo is baiting these idiots, dripping out damning info, and trapping them in a morass of their own making. Ballmer going on ESPN was just a huge mistake. The first rule of breaking the rules is to shut the fuck up. The more they talk, the tighter the screws. God, it’s refreshing seeing real journalism at work, even if it is just a stupid sports story.
September 11Sep 11 Kawhi was owed 1.75 million. Uncle Dennis was constantly calling asking for it. The company was broke and couldn't pay. On Dec 6th, Clipper minority owner Dennis Wong (guy who build the Intuit Dome and Balmer's college roommate) wrote a check to Aspiration for 1.99m. On Dec 15th, they paid Kahwi 1.75m. On Dec 15th, Aspiration also laid off 10% of workforce. Pablo had the bank statements and had a new witness from the fiance department. Cake Icing: Wong's daughter worked for Aspiration.
September 11Sep 11 Not that there was ever any real doubt, but Pablo's excellent reporting/sourcing proves that his North Carolina story was dead on as well. That Carolina brass banned Hoodie's arm candy from the program but then went back on it when Pablo's story came out. What a glorious shit show.
September 11Sep 11 Zero chance that Ballmer wasn’t fully aware of what was happening if not orchestrating it himself. Not the first time that a player got extra perks but this isn’t using the owner’s yacht for a week. the only question is whether the NBA will have the balls to do anything and can they get Ballmer to accept it. Most likely Ballmer needs to find a fall guy like his buddy, to reduce his personal penalty. I don’t think Ballmer will care if there is a money penalty. finally the funniest part is that this could have mostly been ignored if Kawhi had just been willing to perform the most basic work for the $48m. A few appearances and social media posts. Possibly as a little as one day of total work over a couple of years.
September 11Sep 11 3 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said: Was kawai underpaid by market value? 3-4 years ago was 30-35 million market for the top nba players? I don’t remember because we’re now in the 60-70M per year. Should he have been earning in the 40s, near 50? It was still a max deal at the time but he was switching teams so the Clips (or any other team) couldnt give him as much as the Raptors.
September 11Sep 11 2 hours ago, Kermit said: Yeah, I think I’m gonna have to rethink my opinion on this and start to side with @ztejas. Pablo is baiting these idiots, dripping out damning info, and trapping them in a morass of their own making. Ballmer going on ESPN was just a huge mistake. The first rule of breaking the rules is to shut the fuck up. The more they talk, the tighter the screws. God, it’s refreshing seeing real journalism at work, even if it is just a stupid sports story.
September 11Sep 11 2 hours ago, Fastbreak said: Kawhi was owed 1.75 million. Uncle Dennis was constantly calling asking for it. The company was broke and couldn't pay. On Dec 6th, Clipper minority owner Dennis Wong (guy who build the Intuit Dome and Balmer's college roommate) wrote a check to Aspiration for 1.99m. On Dec 15th, they paid Kahwi 1.75m. On Dec 15th, Aspiration also laid off 10% of workforce. The payments to KL during that time period were also marked CRITICAL. Prior to December 10, KL had only played 26% of LAC games (7/27). After the payment? 82% of games played (45/55) Of course, they can't prove his 20 games missed prior to the outstanding payment were truly due to "knee soreness" or KL refusing to play until he got paid. But it's a bad look that he got the payment and suddenly his knee was all better and he was able to play over 80% of the remaining games. Edited September 11Sep 11 by Js1
September 11Sep 11 This is indeed the smoking gun. Ballmer owns 99% of the team. Wong owns 1%. His daughter worked for Aspiration so there is no way he didnt know the company was broke when he sent the payment. This is incredible work by Pablo and his team. Edited September 11Sep 11 by d2o
September 11Sep 11 I'm listening to this new pod at work and laughed out loud at this a few times. The absurdity of it all being this blatantly obvious and barely attempting to cover their tracks is just mind bottling. These guys are all so fucking unbelievably rich, and they don't have shady lawyers to cover up relationships with shell companies?? What a bunch of wealthy, arrogant, idiots. Fuck Ballmer, fuck Wong, fuck Kawhi and his handlers. They all deserve to be banned, fined, suspended, tarred and feathered. Fuck this shit, you have to drop the hammer on this merry band of dumbfucks or else every other rich owner will do the same.
September 11Sep 11 How much does this affect Kawhi's eligibility? I think the penalty needs to be pretty severe not just $$ but also a suspension of some kind.
September 11Sep 11 lol @ the Shams of the world, Cuban, etc who have all carried water for the NBA/Ballmer during this trying time. Fucking dunked on. Edited September 11Sep 11 by CurlyDumps
September 11Sep 11 45 minutes ago, chainsaw said: How much does this affect Kawhi's eligibility? I think the penalty needs to be pretty severe not just $$ but also a suspension of some kind. He definitely needs to be suspended for a full year, but will the NBPA fight any potential suspension?
September 11Sep 11 1 hour ago, CurlyDumps said: lol @ the Shams of the world, Cuban, etc who have all carried water for the NBA/Ballmer during this trying time. Fucking dunked on. I still don’t think much happens to ballmer outside of a max fine and maybe a reprimand 42 minutes ago, Js1 said: He definitely needs to be suspended for a full year, but will the NBPA fight any potential suspension? Ban that pussy for life!
September 11Sep 11 5 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said: I still don’t think much happens to ballmer outside of a max fine and maybe a reprimand Ban that pussy for life! I was in the same boat, but now the evidence is incriminating the Clippers and you just know that Pablo is itching for anyone to say anything about the falsity of these accusations so he can lower another hammer strike.
September 11Sep 11 Lowe is walking his initial thoughts back and thinks a fine and a FRP being taken away is likely. Wonder if this was Ballmer trying to influence a potential decision. "Be reasonable, boss! We are willing to be (lightly) punished!"
September 11Sep 11 Leonard and his camp were such huge dickheads when they were accusing the Spurs organization of mismanaging his “injury” years ago. It was always about him going back home. Just be honest and don’t badmouth one of the best organizations in sports. In other words, fuck Kawhi!
September 11Sep 11 1 hour ago, d2o said: Interesting note: The league will ultimately bill Ballmer for the investigation. LOL. The law firm that the NBA hired right now. 1 hour ago, Js1 said: He definitely needs to be suspended for a full year, but will the NBPA fight any potential suspension? Yes because it's their duty to do so. Just like a lawyer being paid to defend a murderer. How vociferously they go about it and how outspoken anyone is will remain to be seen. There may be some players with similar deals that are happy to see Kawhi be the sacrificial lamb.
September 11Sep 11 The funniest part about this whole thing to me is how much of a no brainer that deal probably was to Ballmer in 2019. "Yeah, sure, the uncle is problematic, but we get the Finals MVP and Paul George to add to a playoff team, and it's only going to cost us some draft picks, one decent young player named Shai, and an extra $12M a year under the table. NBA Titles here we come!" But clippers gonna clipper.
September 11Sep 11 1 hour ago, d2o said: It was still a max deal at the time but he was switching teams so the Clips (or any other team) couldnt give him as much as the Raptors. If he had stayed with the Spurs, the supermax in 2019 would've been 5 years, $219 million. If he had stayed with the Raptors, the max would've been 5 years, $190 million. The max any other team could've offered at the time was 4 years, $141 million. So the difference between what the Raptors offered and what the Clippers could've offered was $49 million and one could presume Kawhi, Uncle Dennis, and the Clippers viewed that as leaving 49mil on the table. He signed with the Clippers for 3 years, $103 million because the pot was sweetened on the side.
September 11Sep 11 14 minutes ago, angelfacedmongoloid said: If he had stayed with the Spurs, the supermax in 2019 would've been 5 years, $219 million. If he had stayed with the Raptors, the max would've been 5 years, $190 million. The max any other team could've offered at the time was 4 years, $141 million. So the difference between what the Raptors offered and what the Clippers could've offered was $49 million and one could presume Kawhi, Uncle Dennis, and the Clippers viewed that as leaving 49mil on the table. He signed with the Clippers for 3 years, $103 million because the pot was sweetened on the side. I know the Spurs had extreme doubts about offering that contract, and I’m so glad they didn't have to pay that fuckhead that amount to hide from team officials. The HEB commercials with Kawhi are a reminder that you actually have to show up for some of your endorsements. Bitchass motherfucker. Ain’t nobody going to defend your mute ass now.
September 11Sep 11 I'm hanging out with my Spurs friend on 'Sunday. I cannot fucking wait to get his take on this.
September 11Sep 11 3 hours ago, chainsaw said: How much does this affect Kawhi's eligibility? I think the penalty needs to be pretty severe not just $$ but also a suspension of some kind. Joe Smith didn't get suspended over the T-Wolves scandal. Had his contract voided and his Bird rights stripped. Quote -5 first-round picks forfeited (two were returned later) -$3.5M fine -Smith's most-recent contract was voided, and his Bird Rights were stripped away -Wolves owner Glen Taylor was suspended -Wolves GM Kevin McHale was forced to take a leave of absence So I wouldn't think Kahwi is facing a possible suspension. Although I guess it all depends on what the investigation finds. The T-Wolves thing was also 25 years ago.
September 11Sep 11 2 hours ago, aggie08 said: The funniest part about this whole thing to me is how much of a no brainer that deal probably was to Ballmer in 2019. "Yeah, sure, the uncle is problematic, but we get the Finals MVP and Paul George to add to a playoff team, and it's only going to cost us some draft picks, one decent young player named Shai, and an extra $12M a year under the table. NBA Titles here we come!" But clippers gonna clipper. Exactly. Some of that real Clip shit
September 11Sep 11 1 hour ago, CurlyDumps said: Joe Smith didn't get suspended over the T-Wolves scandal. Had his contract voided and his Bird rights stripped. So I wouldn't think Kahwi is facing a possible suspension. Although I guess it all depends on what the investigation finds. The T-Wolves thing was also 25 years ago. The brutal thing for the Clips is they'll lose draft picks, after trading most of theirs away already. Back to the cellar for them.
September 11Sep 11 2 hours ago, Kermit said: I know the Spurs had extreme doubts about offering that contract, and I’m so glad they didn't have to pay that fuckhead that amount to hide from team officials. The HEB commercials with Kawhi are a reminder that you actually have to show up for some of your endorsements. Bitchass motherfucker. Ain’t nobody going to defend your mute ass now. Good to see you back in top form LOL
September 11Sep 11 1 hour ago, CurlyDumps said: Joe Smith didn't get suspended over the T-Wolves scandal. Had his contract voided and his Bird rights stripped. So I wouldn't think Kahwi is facing a possible suspension. Although I guess it all depends on what the investigation finds. The T-Wolves thing was also 25 years ago. Kawhi and his team (at least seemingly) were way more active in this thing IMO. Asking TOR for the same exact things that he got in LA is quite damning
September 11Sep 11 9 hours ago, Fastbreak said: This latest pod blows it fucking through the wall. It was all orchestrated. Take the all-star game away Void Kahwi's contract Suspend Kahwi 1-2 years Suspend Balmer and Wong for 1-2 years Strip all draft picks for 8-10 years Take league control of the team Yeah, this is pretty clearly subversion of the cap.
September 11Sep 11 2 hours ago, CurlyDumps said: Joe Smith didn't get suspended over the T-Wolves scandal. Had his contract voided and his Bird rights stripped. So I wouldn't think Kahwi is facing a possible suspension. Although I guess it all depends on what the investigation finds. The T-Wolves thing was also 25 years ago. They could go the Joe Smith route or the Jontay Porter route. Obviously, Jontay Porter is no Kawhi Leonard, never was, and never would be. However, I feel pretty strongly they will have to do something more than a slap on the wrist.
September 12Sep 12 Uncle Dennis acting like one of the Sopranos crew or an ill-tempered pimp dealing with one of his prostitutes - "I don't care how you get it bitch but you better get me my fuckin money!" Edited September 12Sep 12 by Message Board User
September 12Sep 12 The bankruptcy trustee for Aspiration is going to be very interested in that payment.
September 12Sep 12 How do you suspend a guy who never plays? It’s like a Buddhist koan. Suspended AND contract voided. Bored man don't get paid
September 12Sep 12 I’m assuming now that the clippers org and Ballmer will stop all comments. For all they know, there could be more docs that are waiting to contradict them. They will eventually be released by the reporter(s) but it’s always better to release them to show someone is lying. i didn’t watch or read Ballmer’s initial comments but I’ve seen some analysis claim that he didn’t explicitly deny the charges. Instead it was some vague, “we know and follow the rules.”
September 12Sep 12 Suspended AND contract voided. Bored man don't get paid Can he just do a meet and greet at in n out or del taco to make up for it?
September 12Sep 12 If Kawhi gets suspended for two years, I'm really looking forward to him coming back and immediately being put on a load management program in October 2027.
September 12Sep 12 Terrible it happens to the bestest and brightest. Ben Simmons with his back too, just couldnt get healthy after years of mostly not playing too.
September 12Sep 12 Good to see Cuban continue to show his ass as more stuff comes out and doubling down. We used to like you, Mark
September 12Sep 12 1 hour ago, Js1 said: Good to see Cuban continue to show his ass as more stuff comes out and doubling down. We used to like you, Mark We also used to hate you, Mark. I think I've come full circle on him.
September 12Sep 12 1 hour ago, Mitch Cumsteen said: We also used to hate you, Mark. I think I've come full circle on him. Spurs fans for sure. There was a time I hated Mark Cuban more than I hated Jerry Buss.
September 12Sep 12 4 hours ago, Js1 said: Good to see Cuban continue to show his ass as more stuff comes out and doubling down. We used to like you, Mark If you think he's an ass now, just wait until he runs for president in 2028....
September 13Sep 13 Pablo: Good morning. According to 9 sources with direct knowledge of the deal, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer personally invested another $10M into Aspiration in March 2023 — the same month Kawhi Leonard was owed his quarterly payment. (First reported by @TheAthletic.) More to come 👀
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