The inquiry is being handled by the U.S.Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, which has previously pursued major sports integrity cases involving NBA referee gambling and FIFA corruption.Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks toward the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Inglewood, California, on May 1, 2025.
(AP Photo/Mark J.Terrill, file)Federal authorities began scrutinizing the Clippers’ alleged conduct before the NBA announced its penalties, including a $30 million fine, the forfeiture of five consecutive first-round picks from 2029 through 2033 and a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer.
Two top Clippers executives also received suspensions.MALIK BEASLEY INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY FIXING HIS OWN NBA PERFORMANCES FOR BETTORSThe Times reported that a grand jury has already issued at least one subpoena in the investigation.Investigators are zeroing in on undisclosed endorsement deals, including a reported $28 million agreement with Aspiration Partners.The green finance company later collapsed into bankruptcy, while co-founder Joe Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for fraud.Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, made a whopping $80 million contribution to NPR last month.(Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)Prosecutors are examining whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and team executives helped facilitate side deals that compensated Leonard beyond the NBA’s salary-cap limits.The SEC has also entered the investigation.
Daktronics, which supplied displays for the Clippers’ Intuit Dome, confirmed that regulators requested records tied to its sponsorship agreements with Leonard.The federal investigation significantly escalates the Clippers’ scandal, which the NBA called a "pattern of misconduct" after a yearlong review by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTE...