The NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard has come to an end…sorta. ESPN reported that the Clippers, Kawhi, and Steve Ballmer appear to have escaped any sort of punishment for the alleged cap circumvention.
Although it did not take too long for the NBA Communications account to hit ESPN with a Lee Corso’s ‘NOT SO FAST’
Though the NBAPR account clapped back it appears the writing is on the wall…well, was always on the wall. Nothing is going to happen. Cap Circumvention is one of the deadly sins according to Silver, so there’s no way to just lightly punish the richest owner in sports. You can’t give him a slap on the wrist for committing the worst crime in the game and there’s just enough gray area in this case that there’s a way to wiggle out of this completely. Silver has bigger fish to fry at the moment. Portland’s new owner is threatening to move the team, the Lakers are owned by Mickey Mouse and OSCAR health after their last owner is under investigation by the FBI, and the Grizzlies owner is allegedly responsible for some nasty drone bombing overseas. So what if Ballmer is using a little extra cash from a fake tree company and a scoreboard to get the Board Man paid.
But the real takeaway brings me back to a quote by famous philosopher LaDainian Tomlinson.
To the rest of the owners, specifically Bill Chisolm of the Celtics, it's time to flex your cash, sir. If Kawhi Leonard can be part owner of a Rhode Island Soccer Team…which by the way is the most Arrested Development plotline I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Next Week on Arrested Development - GOB tells Michael that he is in over his head as he and Martha are now part silent owners of the Rhode Island Rhodies while Tobias is adamant he should try out as the Goalie.”
Well if Kawhi can do that, I need the Celtics to start offering Nikola Jokic part ownership of Suffolk Downs where he can race his horsies. Anthony Edwards can get a profit share of all Boston Creme Pies sales at Dunkin Donuts during his tenure in Boston. Steph Curry can have political sway to make sure low-income housing doesn’t get close to his new Boston home. It’s time to cheat!
It’s 2026 in the United States of America. Billionaires are not going to get punished. So if you’re a billionaire and you own a sports team, instead of finding yourselves in the Epstein files or helping countries bomb other countries, let’s just use that stupid amount of money to get great players to come to your team.
Rules be damned! #TeamBallmer
We’ll be live Tuesday at 12pm et to talk more about this ruling + the Western Conference Over/Unders.