Adam Silver responds after Pablo Torre calls out NBA Commissioner in Clippers scandal
As more facts emerge about the controversy surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers and their star player, Kawhi Leonard, the situation has grown even more complicated. While it initially appeared that owner Steve Ballmer might be able to deny the allegations, fan suspicion has continued to mount.
Pablo Torre first broke the story, and he's continued to expand on the situation in the time that's passed since. The NBA Commissioner has addressed the issue and spoken about it, but Torre called him out on his claim that he hadn't heard of Aspiration, the company, before this news came out.
RELATED: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s stance benefits Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
After the 9/10 NBA owners meeting, Adam Silver said: “I’d frankly never heard of the company Aspiration before. And I’d never heard a whiff of anything around an endorsement deal with Kawhi, or anything around engagement with the Los Angeles Clippers. So it was all new to me.” 🧵 pic.twitter.com/xfpcAYRbX8
— Pablo Torre 🕳️ (@PabloTorre) September 16, 2025
"But we just obtained a copy of Aspiration’s $300M+ 'Founding Sponsorship Agreement,' which 'must be submitted prior to its execution for the NBA’s approval and shall not be effective or enforceable until it is expressly approved by the NBA,'" Torre wrote on X after pointing out that Silver said he had never heard of the company.
The implication here is that either the Commissioner didn't know, or that he lied. Neither is a good look for Silver. This naturally led to the man himself setting the record straight.
Adam Silver gets ahead of Torre’s claim that he lied about not knowing of Aspiration’s existence: “I said I never heard of it— I meant in the context of the accusations here. I was certainly aware of the brand.” pic.twitter.com/qoQOw3fMJg
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 16, 2025
“I said I never heard of it. I meant in the context of the accusations here. I was certainly aware of the brand," Silver said on a podcast.
There is massive scrutiny regarding this situation in the NBA world, and other team owners will want to see Ballmer and the Clippers punished if any of the allegations are proven to be true. This puts the NBA's top executives under considerable pressure, and may lead to serious action on this front in the coming weeks.
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