Pablo Torre’s reporting that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap for Kawhi Leonard appeared to hit a major roadblock in mid-August. ESPN published a story stating that “the NBA found no evidence” that the team was guilty of the allegations.
On Wednesday, vindication arrived for Torre when the NBA came down hard on the Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, and two team executives. In the aftermath of the league’s historic punishment, the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” host addressed ESPN’s inaccurate reporting.
Pablo Torre Explains How ESPN Got Its Kawhi Leonard Report Wrong
In September 2025, Torre reported that the Clippers skirted the salary cap for the two-time NBA Finals MVP. In his initial report, the journalist accused Leonard of signing a “no-show” $28 million endorsement deal with former team sponsor Aspiration.
Further reports from Torre brought the amount to $48 million, which was just a little short of Ballmer’s alleged $50 million investment in the company.
In succeeding episodes, the former ESPN reporter revealed more side deals, adding layers to the controversy.
The NBA responded a few days after Torre’s initial findings emerged by hiring a law firm to probe into the allegations. During NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s media availability at this year’s NBA Summer League, he said that the investigation could finish before the 2026-27 season starts.
About a month after Silver’s comment, ESPN released a story about the supposed findings. According to that report, there was “no evidence” that Ballmer “funneled money through team sponsors to pay Kawhi Leonard in order to circumvent the salary cap.”
Torre, who received some scathing backlash after that report came out, refused to publicly comment. When he was eventually proven right, he addressed that issue on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Thursday.
“What ESPN apparently saw was the Clippers’ side of the story. And the NBA immediately, within an hour, refutes it vociferously. … What ESPN had done, according to my reporting, is they were fed a story by the Clippers that the Clippers may have known was not true. … They got fed a story by the people who were lying to everybody this whole time.” Torre said.
“They were fed a story by the Clippers that the Clippers may have known was not true.” — @PabloTorre wonders why ESPN reported the story the way they did. pic.twitter.com/quDicyfS2a
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 3, 2026
The 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner added that ESPN asked him for a comment. He shared that he told the network he was standing by his reporting and would wait for the NBA to announce the result of the investigation.
In some ways, the league had already thrown its support behind Torre following ESPN’s report. Via a released statement, the NBA said:
“ESPN’s article regarding the Clippers investigation – for which the NBA declined to cooperate – contains numerous and significant inaccuracies.”
Torre said that ESPN could have believed the Clippers, who the podcaster said looked them in the eye and told its journalists that they were telling the truth. He summarized that the Worldwide Leader “tried to get a win even when the game’s already over.”
Despite his vindication, Torre insisted he’s not looking for an apology from ESPN and doesn’t think he needs or deserves one.
Torre’s reporting has now been reinforced by the NBA’s findings, turning a story that once drew heavy criticism into a major reporting victory. After standing by his work through the backlash, Torre has seen the league’s findings give his original reporting far greater weight.
