Clippers Allegations Uncovers Surprise Twist Amid Ongoing Investigation

Cherny's argument against the "no-show" deal was the fact that the contract contained three pages of obligations that Leonard was required to perform.

"The claim that the contract with Kawhi Leonard was a 'no show' contract is false. The contract contained three pages of extensive obligations that Leonard had to perform. And the contract clearly said that if Leonard did not meet those obligations, Aspiration could terminate the contract," Cherny said.

Cherny also mentioned that Aspiration itself could have terminated the contract if Leonard had failed to fulfill his obligations as a brand partner, and exclaimed that he did not recall any discussions about the NBA salary cap during the contract negotiations for Leonard.

"In the months of discussion among our executives before signing the sponsorship, I don't remember conversations about the NBA salary cap. I signed the contract shortly before I submitted my resignation, but before I left there were numerous internal conversations about the various things Aspiration was planning to do with Leonard once the 2022-23 season began...," Cherny exclaimed.

Torre Responds

Pablo Torre of "Pablo Torre Finds Out," responded early Saturday morning with a huge rebuttal in response to Cherny's statement.

"Greetings. In response to Aspiration co-founder Andrei Cherny — who now claims that Kawhi Leonard’s secret, $28M endorsement deal was not a “no-show job” — @pablofindsout has just obtained the following statement. It is signed by Aspiration’s ex-CFO; ex-COO and CLO; and ex-CTO," Torre wrote on his social media.

The contract agreement provided by Torre contradicted Cherny's claims, as Leonard's deal was presented as a "complete arrangement" and was executed by Cherny despite "significant objections" from upper management.

"The team expressed concerns at the time regarding the high cost of the agreement and its lack of alignment with Aspiration's brand and business strategy. While subsequent marketing efforts were undertaken, they were ultimately discontinued and should not be interpreted as support for the deal itself. In our judgment, the Leonard deal was not in the company's best interest."

"It was strategically difficult to justify then, and it remains so today," the joint statement of the Aspiration Senior Executive Team concluded.

With new information emerging daily, the NBA's investigation into the allegations will surely take longer than previously expected.