Stephen A. Smith EXPOSES Kawhi Leonard Over His $28,000,000 Fraud Scheme!

Believe it or not, some of this is believable. Recently, shocking news broke tying Kawhi Leonard to a $28 million fraud scheme—and now Stephen A. Smith is exposing even more. The scandal involves secret contracts, powerful names, and a superstar accused of collecting massive checks without lifting a finger. Some clauses in the agreement allegedly allowed Leonard to do nothing and still get paid. As Smith put it, “That’s the Kawhi Leonard I know—doing nothing and getting paid for it.” This story could be one of the most elaborate salary cap circumvention schemes in NBA history.

On September 3rd, 2025, journalist Pablo Torre released a bombshell investigation. His report revealed Kawhi Leonard’s alleged $28 million no-show endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt company called Aspiration, possibly helping the Clippers bypass NBA salary cap rules. Torre went through over 3,000 legal documents and interviewed seven former Aspiration employees, many of whom claim this is the biggest scheme they’ve seen in professional sports.

So what exactly happened? Aspiration, an eco-friendly “green” banking company, once raised over $865 million and was valued at $2.3 billion. It attracted celebrity backers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Drake, and even former Clippers coach Doc Rivers. But things went south when co-founder Joseph Sanberg pleaded guilty to wire fraud in August 2025, admitting to defrauding investors of over $243 million. The company filed for bankruptcy in March, and that’s when the truth began to surface.

Leonard signed a deal with Aspiration through his company, KL2 Aspire LLC, in April 2022. But unlike other celebrity endorsers, Leonard never publicly promoted the brand. No ads. No social media posts. Not a single appearance—aside from a tweet on his birthday saying they would plant trees for every retweet. Even more suspicious, the contract allowed Leonard to decline any requested action while still being paid. And payments would only continue if Leonard stayed on the Clippers’ roster—a clause that raised red flags.

Former Aspiration employees said they were told not to question the deal, explicitly because it was set up to circumvent the salary cap. Steve Ballmer, the Clippers owner and one of the richest men in the world, personally invested $50 million into Aspiration. Conveniently, Aspiration also announced a $300 million sponsorship with the Clippers in 2021. Torre’s follow-up report on September 5th revealed another $20 million side deal with Leonard, totaling $48 million—eerily close to Ballmer’s original investment.

Leonard’s uncle, Dennis Robertson—often known for making bold and sometimes questionable demands—helped orchestrate the deal. Back in 2019, he reportedly asked teams for benefits like part ownership and private planes during Leonard’s free agency. The NBA investigated, but no evidence was found. Now, with these new revelations, similar tactics appear to be back in play.

When Stephen A. Smith heard about this, he didn’t hold back. On First Take, Smith tore into Leonard, calling him a player who “has done absolutely, positively nothing for years” while collecting over $43 million per season. Smith emphasized how Leonard rarely speaks, doesn’t sign autographs, doesn’t do press, and doesn’t engage with fans or promote the Clippers brand. “When I saw that report about him getting money for doing nothing,” Smith said, “it made perfect sense. That’s exactly who Kawhi Leonard has always been.”

Smith went even harder on his YouTube show, breaking down how Leonard’s no-show contract sounded like something tailor-made for him. “That sounds just like Kawhi Leonard. No-show job. Don’t have to show up. Don’t have to do a damn thing.” He went so far as to call Leonard “the worst superstar in sports history” when it comes to public presence and fan engagement.

The NBA took notice—fast. Within hours of Torre’s report, NBA spokesman Mike Bass announced a formal investigation into potential violations of Section 13 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This section prohibits outside payments to players beyond their contracts. If proven, the penalties could be severe: up to $7.5 million in fines, loss of draft picks, voided contracts, and suspensions for team officials. Commissioner Adam Silver has long called salary cap circumvention one of the league’s “cardinal sins.”

The public reaction has been explosive. Fans on X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and YouTube are divided. Some demand harsh punishments; others think Kawhi’s uncle orchestrated everything without his full awareness. Lakers fans—still bitter that Leonard chose the Clippers in 2019—are having a field day. Meanwhile, Raptors fans are jokingly demanding a “reverse time machine” to bring Kawhi back to Toronto.

Steve Ballmer went on ESPN to defend himself, saying he was conned by Aspiration’s founders. “They conned me,” Ballmer said, despite being one of the richest men in America. Former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban backed Ballmer, claiming the whole scandal didn’t make financial sense and suggesting Ballmer was genuinely deceived. Torre later invited Cuban to discuss the matter on his podcast, fueling more speculation.