Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, known for his passion and commitment to chasing an NBA championship, has recently made headlines for negative reasons involving fintech company Aspiration and payments to star player Kawhi Leonard. A top investigative journalist has uncovered new details as the controversy continues.
What Is The Latest Update on Steve Ballmer
Sports investigative journalist Pablo Torre reported that Ballmer has been sued by multiple Aspiration investors. Torre says the investors believe Ballmer used the company to “secretly funnel millions of dollars to star player Kawhi Leonard, paying him more than allowed by the NBA’s salary cap rules.”
Torre added that the lawsuit alleges, “Ballmer was complicit and aided co-founder Joe Sanberg’s fraud for his own self-serving purpose to evade the NBA’s salary cap.” One investor suing Ballmer told Torre, “A lot of people have been hurt here. We look forward to our day in court when justice will be done.”
The NBA’s investigation into the situation remains a key off-court story. Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration in 2021, a separate matter from the league approving a $300 million sponsorship deal between the company and the Clippers that same year.
“It’s not merely the power of profit, it’s the power to launder an image. It’s the power to control culture.”
—@PabloTorre on how billionaires use sports to normalize extreme wealth pic.twitter.com/NIrbeRX292
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) November 4, 2025
Aspiration reportedly signed Leonard to a separate sponsorship deal the following year. While the deal was not subject to NBA review, a former company employee claimed it was a way to pay Leonard more money without it being tied to the salary cap.
Both Ballmer and Leonard have denied any misconduct. Former Aspiration CEO Andrei Cherney also defended the endorsement deal, saying that Leonard fulfilled his obligations and the contract clearly allowed the company to terminate the agreement if he did not.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will continue investigating but clarified that it is up to the NBA to establish any wrongdoing by Ballmer or the Clippers organization.
The Clippers are currently ninth in the Western Conference with a 3-3 record. Leonard has been healthy and is averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season, shooting 51.2% from the field and 44.4% from three. He has yet to make his usual defensive impact, which may explain his current negative plus/minus rating.
Kawhi Leonard, through all of this controversy, has somehow become underrated
The man is still ELITE
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) November 4, 2025
Leonard will aim to minimize off-court distractions, including the Aspiration investigation, and focus on leading the Clippers up the Western Conference standings.