Twenty-five NBA teams are set to have their media days on Monday. However, none of them will garner as much attention as the LA Clippers. This, of course, comes as a result of the massive Pablo Torre reports that effectively accused Kawhi Leonard and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer of circumventing at least around $48 million through the salary cap. The Clippers’ owner alongside his long-term associate and minority owner Dennis Wong have been linked to a paper trail that connects their invested money directly to The Klaw for what has widely been described as a “no-show” job despite the company representatives claiming the opposite.
For weeks, this has been the hottest conversation amongst NBA fans, and it’s safe to say that it will be something that will also dominate their media day on 29th September. However, amid this, the biggest question is whether both Leonard and Ballmer will attend the presentation or try to avoid it.
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Will we see Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer at the Clippers media day?
Yes, although the pair might prefer to skip the media duties, that’s something which is unlikely to happen. Well, it’s simply because of the fact that all the players, the coaching staff, and the front office are usually available until there’s some sort of an emergency. So, there’s no reason to believe that Kawhi Leonard and Steve Ballmer would not be present. While that’s great news for the Clippers fans and everyone who wants to know more about the ongoing saga, the same cannot be said for the duo.
Why? It’s because everyone will be seeking some solid answers from the Klaw and the Clippers’ owner, something they might not be willing to delve into, given that there’s an open investigation against them by the league. In fact, not just that. There are plenty of other revelations apart from the alleged $48 million no-show deal with the now bankrupt firm Aspiration, with his “uncle Dennis” also having a history of having made problematic demands that are against NBA rules to at least two franchises in the form of the Clippers and the Lakers.
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Reports have claimed that Kawhi Leonard and Co. made illegal demands to former Lakers boss Jeanie Buss during the summer of 2019, as the superstar’s camp asked Buss for ownership within the illustrious franchise. Further, other portals (via Yahoo Sports) have also claimed the Klaw and his team asked the Toronto Raptors for similar no-show jobs to the one they seemingly inked with the Clippers. The entire saga undoubtedly reeks of wrongdoing and the NBA is yet to take any action against either of the involved parties.
Further, the decision is also set to play a major role in overall NBA landscape as multiple claims have been made about this kind of business being commonplace in the entire NBA. While that makes sense on paper, the league will need to take these claims seriously and actually investigate every aspect brought to light by Pablo Torre. If not, Adam Silver and co. undoubtedly run the risk of losing credibility especially considering the sheer hue and cry the NBA makes over salary cap rules.
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Nonetheless, if this long list of allegations wasn’t enough, the veteran has further added another layer of concern around him for the new season.
Kawhi Leonard adds more uncertainty around his future amid injury concerns
There’s already a lot that the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard need to navigate through, and what makes things even more difficult for them is the 34-year-old’s terrible injury record. Just last season, the Klaw was limited to only 37 regular-season games due to knee-related issues. In fact, over the five seasons he’s been in Southern California, the two-time NBA champion has just crossed the 60-game mark a single time. So, that will also be something that the reporters will emphasize.
To be honest, it’s only valid, as the six-time NBA All-Star is supposed to lead this team alongside James Harden. While he should be leading the line, Leonard hasn’t even been able to be on the court for a significant time. Although many might argue that while Kawhi Leonard did not suit up for many games, whenever he did, he contributed big time. Well, he did average 21.5 points along with 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists, which is great. However, being absent for such a long time isn’t what a franchise wants from its superstar.
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