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It’s clear that Pablo’s source is Aspiration and an employee who has a gripe to grind with the CEO this cause them their job I’m taking it all down.

If I’m Steve. I’m Hollering. This cost me $50 million Dollars.

 

Show me the exact quote, and don't take it out of context with the other quotes I referenced above.

Exactly??? The hell he is with your "gossip" reach. What he actually said was that he is going to have that same pit bull legal firm from prior Clippers and Suns with Sarver cases THOROUGHLY investigate the situation and that HE has broader latitude in his decision that even in a civil case ("it's not a court of law") .... let alone a capitol case.

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/silver-broad-powers-punish-clippers-020548365.html

Excerpts:

Mostly, Silver sounded like a cautious, patient lawyer when speaking after the NBA's Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday.

"I'm a big believer in due process and fairness, and we need to now let the investigation run its course," Silver said.

When asked about possible punishments the Clippers could face if it is proven the franchise knowingly circumvented the salary cap, Silver sounded like a man who understands he has a hammer to bring down.

"My powers are very broad," Silver said. "Full range of financial penalties — draft picks, suspensions, et cetera. I have very broad powers in these situations."

However, sounded cautious about using that hammer. While the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) says a case for cap circumvention can be based on circumstantial evidence — which is all that is public right now, although there is a flood of it — Silver sounded like a lawyer who wants something more concrete.

"We and our investigators look at the totality of the evidence... "I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety," (Slick's wrong interpretation about "circumstantial evidence) Silver said. "I think that the goal of a full investigation (with a detailed road map from Pablo) is to find out if there really was impropriety."

"The answer is we're not a court of law at the end of the day, either," Silver said. "We have broad authority to look at all information and to weigh it accordingly."

Silver said that his cautious approach has been echoed by the other owners he has spoken to on the matter.

"At least what's being said to me is a reservation of judgment," Silver said. "I think people recognize that that's what you have a league office for. That's what you have a commissioner for, someone who is independent of the teams... At least what those governors have said directly to me, to the extent we have had discussions, they've been limited."

 

Him pointing to not being a court of law is something I missed—he’s saying they don’t need smoking guns.

I still think slick and svtzr and Kobe are right that not much happens, but silver is aware he doesn’t need smoking guns. He may use that as a way to further legitimize his non-punishment, though…

 

I read this morning somewhere in that conversation with the press he made reference to a "smoking gun" being circumstantial in itself. He just needs the bull dog legal firm to tell him the preponderance of evidence ... paper trail, circumstantial and whatever says they were guilty. No one is going to force Ballz to sell, that's ridiculous but 2 or 3 first round picks, a BIG fine, maybe smack them in the face by taking away this year's All Star game (since that would be non stop discussed at that time) and whatever else would send a real clear message. Seems to me he has said in his other statements he has that power and DUTY if warranted.

 

i just don't think a fine does anything. he supposedly lost 60 million by being a d****** already!

i've come to believe the most appropriate fine is five years of the clippers' tax/cap threshold being approximately 7-10 million lower than everyone else's, as that's the advantage they gained from this contract. with the new cba making going over thresholds problematic for team building, i think this hits harder than fines or possibly even draft picks. maybe they get to keep their picks but can't trade them for 3 years or something.

 

Guess you were a devil’s advocate always in not subscribing to the old “if it looks, walks, quacks, smells, craps like a duck …. it’s a duck? Makes no sense to you? It’s one thing to place your bet nothing will happen to the Clippers over this but a whole other thing with your “possible” explanations of innocence for Ballz and Leonard ….. considering him having already done it once and the League penalizing them.

 

yeah, in part we're having two conversations: is it cheating and is anything going to happen. i'm going to be hard to sway on the first one; the second one is definitely up in the air.

 

"I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety," (Slick's wrong interpretation about "circumstantial evidence

That's exactly what circumstantial evidence means brother.

Now..let's examine this " overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence ".

1. The league investigation is on whether the Heyena's 28M endorsement deal,was an attempt to circumvent the salary cap.

2. Ballmer invested 50M into Aspiration. 7 months later, they sign the Hyena to a 28M endorsement deal.

How is a 50M investment, to be automatically assumed, to be done solely, for the purpose, of giving Leonard a 28M endorsement deal, 7 months later?

Please explain how that is "obviously" what was going on. 50M is substantially more than 28M.

3. Ballmer and another team exec, invested another 12M into that company in 2023. Now the total investment is 62M. So again...how do you account for the 32M difference? That was just "fluff money" meant to cover up the 28M endorsement deal? This isn't making any sense now, and it's definitely not some examples of overwhelming circumstantial evidence.

4. Ballmer cut off ties with this company in 2023, after they defaulted on their obligations in the 330M rights deal that were pitching him. There is your motivation for Ballmer to invest 60M into that company! 60M for a 330M payoff, that's a great deal isn't it? He fell for the bait, this is how a scam artist works. Promise a big payoff down the road for cash now. He obviously got scammed, along with everyone else. That company defrauded their investors out of 249M. I just don't see your mountain of circumstantial evidence here man.

5. The Heyena - I guess the crux of this supposed controversy, is whether the Hyena had an explicit no-show deal or not. What does that have to do with Ballmer anyway? He didn't give him an endorsement deal, he doesn't control that company, and he doesn't control how they do business. It is absolutely not illegal, for a player to have an investment deal, with a company thier owner invested in.

I'm pretty sure that a contract, was signed for this deal, and that should be extremely easy to check out. How much he got paid. In regards to other celebrities is irrelevant. How is that Ballmer's responsibility in the first place?

Obviously that company was running a scam, and paying the Hyena whatever, was part of the con, to make everything look good to Ballmer, the guy they were targeting in the scam in the first place! This is how successful scam operations work dude. I mean, they were pretty good at it, they scammed a cool quarter billion dollars overall!

So please point out to me, any "hard evidence" of salary cap circumvention, that you are seeing here.

 

So they delay it a few months for appearance sake after he took less for his new contract .... going into effect. 50M very nicely just covers the 28M no work contract seven times what the real celebrity/stars got (believe what you want) AND the reported 20M shares of stock as well for this guy's marketing swag written all over him as we all agree. Sorry no offense, I know you find it all within the realm of possibility. Forgetting and ignoring the allegations of the same type under the table demands that WERE reported on the Lakers side in 2019 and sparked a frickin law suit against West for whatever his involvement was in the promises made and kept. Plus Ballz's past convicted history of under the table with DeAndre Jordan. Quack flippin' quack about Ballmer and what he's capable of. Smoke everywhere when you know exactly what uncle Dennis was about coming to LA and however it got added to going forward.

 

No one is disputing that Kawhii got a 28 million dollar endorsement deal for a climate change themed company which was about 10x what Leonardo de Caprio got (a bigger star and a known climate change activist) and that no one has produced one bit of data that Kawhii even took a dump in the Aspiration bathroom.

I mean bottom line wtf that stinks more than the compost pile at Aspiration

 

Enough with the nonsense ... these "Duck Deniers"

 

The league investigated his signing with the Flippers , when he first went there didn't they? What was found? Nothing. It's a bit of a stretch to think, they turned right around and engaged in a scheme of this magnitude IMO.

The Jordan deal was for 200k, and These are not similar situations.

The league hasn't said anything about a 20M stock options deal. Where is that at? Even Torre is reporting, that was a side deal, the Hyena cut with that company, later. How does that tie to Ballmer?

He never recived any of it to my knowledge. Or the full 28M either, so in essence, it looks like he got scammed too.

Again you bring up other celebrities as if that makes some kind of point. 1. You don't know the details of those people's contracts with that company either, were they also investors? Did they receive stock options? You don't know any of that. You keep sidestepping that 330M naming rights deal to. Perhaps that played a part in his offer? Because....

Here is the kicker for me..You guys are acting like we are talking about Microsoft, Google, Amazon or something. Legit companies, so to point out "questionable " deals involving The Flippers or Heyena, might carry more weight. These people did "weird things " that would go against good business practices. Yeah, I could feel you on that. HOWEVER that is not the type of company were are talking about is it? No..this company defrauded investors out of 248M dollars! So I wouldn't expect a scam artist to be practicing sound business practices, they are out to scam!!!

Lastly, the feds have all the paperwork, this is why the CEO pleaded guilty! You didn't see them charge him, or Leonard, with violations of the labor laws, for doing a no show contract did you? So it's logical to assume that no paper work exists, that would prove such.

I just find it a bit crazy, that nobody is talking about, or even considering the fact, that these people committed, one of largest cases of business fraud in recent history. Somehow that is totally irrelevant?

 

I honestly think it’s another or your oddly chosen “hills”. Sorry.

 

I don't see you effectively refuting, any thing I posted either.

 

There is no defense. It’s very simple. What’s there to talk about????


Kawaii took a no show deal. He did not show up. And do the work. Why is that anything that is a problem???

He got paid. Players have taken money and not done the work on a lot of things.

How am I defending Kawaii??? Kawaii wasn’t going to do s*** when I said he wouldn’t do s***.

Defending Ballmer???? I was giving a point of view from his angle.

50 million dollars is 50 million dollars. That’s a lot of money to lose.

So I could care less about the 2 million dollar fine or 4 million dollar fine.

as far as I’m concerned he got his penalty to.

He got in bed with these guys out of them sponsoring the arena team and Kawaii.

He probably put money to keep it going.

No need to keep this back and forth going just penalize them for doing something out of the structure of the league.

Yes this is gossip. I was saying from Silvers angle the statement he made. Defining I can’t suspend an owner for a season out of gossip from one side the aspiration who defrauded everybody and layed off employees. I have to get all sides.

nothing to get pissed about. This really doesn’t move the needle with me.

They admitted there was a contract that Kawaii signed separately that the co ceo showed where kawaii had work to do to get paid.

If you followed Steve’s initial statement in the interview was Kawaii and his people know the rules. We don’t speak for them. They were already distancing themselves. Knowing the facts.

I assure you Steve Ballmer wouldn’t lie to Silvers face.

And I guarantee you there would be a conversation Steve did you do this???

You noticed you haven’t heard a statement from Kawaii???? I wonder why???? Yep.

You aren’t suspending Kawaii for a season that’s a players union issue on endorsement deal.

I can see a resolution where Kawaii gets 10 games suspension.

and the Clippers get fined and lose a first round draft pick. That will be for not notifying the league of the deal.

Gossip is the way it’s being put out. It’s the company’s side. Ain’t nobody tripping.

 

And to be clear. If Ballmer wanted to do something out of line he could’ve just directly paid the two million to Kawai and just give it to uncle Dennis.

Theres anything he could’ve done. Set him up in a stock account bought a house in someone else’s name. Plenty of things.

He could’ve f***ing directly paid the money to aspire Co CEO to give to Kawaii.


He probably put the money in there to keep it going.

Dennis Wong his roommate from Harvard put the money in the company to pay Kawaii so the CEO could do that. Cause Ballmer can’t directly do that.

So could I see that happening yes. Is there a penalty for that I don’t know. Dennis Wong is a limited partner.

 

That was me speaking How Adam Silver was speaking. No I don’t work for Steve Ballmer. I’m an owner when I was a limited partner of my team. It wasn’t the Clippers.

 

Ballmer can’t make Kawaii not work with these guys. He probably told Kawaii. Hey these guys are working with us. Any deal you do with them. That’s with you guys. Here are the rules.

He can’t control what Kawaii does or Uncle Dennis does.

He put money in the company. And the guy was taking money taking advantage. There is still fraud.

paying money into a business can be viewed as a penalty but if they are trying to make payroll and he puts money into it. He is technically an owner. He has a right to try to make that company successful.