u/CutLonzosHair2017

https://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/content/2019-06-25-kawhi-leonards-new-sponsor-deal-with-canadian-airline-has-clippers-worried/

Ric Bucher:

>“I’m hearing the Clippers are now showing signs of concern that it’s not going to go their way. Kawhi signing the sponsorship with the Canadian jet company raised some alarms in Clipperville. That’s the same company that basically gave Drake a private jet for free and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to have a sponsor with Kawhi’s name if he left. Would Kawhi’s name still carry in Canada if he moves to Los Angeles? If you're the private jet company, are you really wanting to sign him up and do a sponsorship deal with him if he’s not going to be playing for the home team??”

As Bucher pointed out, this is the same company that gifted Drake a jet and made him brand ambassador a few months prior:

https://simpleflying.com/drake-boeing-767-private-jet-free/

Kawhi visited the company office once but never appeared on any advertising for them.

Did the Clippers go into that meeting not knowing that Durant cared about off the court finances? And then when Kawhi came around, they were prepared?

The famous original quote by Aaron Bruski:

>Clippers meeting with Durant was “intense” and “at one point Steve Ballmer was crying” but everyone grew closer and a big lesson was learned

Durant denying Ballmer cried:

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/clippers-rumors-kevin-durant-calls-175935767.html

One of KD's investments making him $60m.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kevin-durant-turns-250-000-190247756.html?guccounter=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mgCDr7G7M

Larger discussion starts at 18:00. But Pablo and Henry Abbott mention that the whistleblower complaint from an early PTFO was conspicuously absent from the report. The implication being that the Wachtell investigation did find illegal activities but left them out of the report for the aforementioned reasons.

https://sports.yahoo.com/blake-griffins-loyalty-clippers-got-one-way-ticket-detroit-050531249.html?guccounter=1

Its pretty clear that the Clippers brass doesn't really care about Lob City or their history. They've made their intentions clear that they do not plan to retire CP3's number. Just like they never planned to retire Blake's number. They knew they were going to trade him when they lied to him about being a Clipper for life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM8YZyQ5lic 1:10

Happens right at the start of the podcast. They discuss the Kawhi/Ingram trade when Windy mentions the scolding. Which isn't surprising as the NBA did not suspend Lee Jenkins.

https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=1718853

After replacing Byron Scott, this is the first thing that Lawrence Frank mentioned in his introductory press conference. Video of the conference isn't on ESPN anymore. The article is though. The quote appears in a NY Post article as well.

https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_5dacd518-1142-11ea-b8cf-d7b500af15e8.html

Ramona Shelburne on Mason and Ireland:

>"Part of the reason why New Orleans didn't want to trade him for so long is because they couldn't get fair value for him. But I think the idea that a black agent was telling, not asking, telling the team 'you should trade him' and he wasn't gonna stay did not go over well in New Orleans. Especially with, I don't want to say 'that fan base', but like, you're down in the south, man. This was very charged. And I think that when things get ugly emotionally like that, it's not just about what's going on on the court. It's not just about the moves being made."

https://abcnews.com/Sports/dangelo-russell-dogs-love-affair/story?id=44413924

Hilariously enough, even in the article, it was obvious that D'Lo had not matured. He got a Belgian Malinois as his pet as a rookie pet owner. If anyone knows anything about that breed, that's a no go.

Also was proof way back in 2016 that Baxter Holmes was a hack who got played by an agent with an immature client.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/nets-reassign-assistant-coach-lawrence-frank-he-will-not-be-on-bench-with-kidd

Frank was Kidd's lead assistant when Kidd became a head coach for the Nets. Kidd and Frank did not get along and after a blowup that could be heard throughout the building, Frank was no long allowed to sit on the bench during games. Instead he was forced to submit tedious notes to Kidd. He was later bought out of his contract. Where he then signed with the Clippers.

https://streamable.com/m1s69q

Should have learned from Stringer Bell. Can't be taking notes on a criminal fucking conspiracy.

https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3mukvojc3572v

If they had punished Kawhi harsher, the players union would have taken it to arbitration where Balmer and Kawhi could have teamed up to deny the allegation and fight the NBA on the penalty. But with Kawhi admitting fault in the way of his team making "mistakes," Balmer can't argue they did not circumvent the cap.

Edit: Theory confirmed by Pablo.

https://streamable.com/hztgji

He carried water for the Clippers when the first reports came out but then he went full propagandist with the following article and my thoughts in an earlier thread following the release of said article:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48369328/the-latest-kawhi-leonard-steve-ballmer-nba-investigation-aspiration-la-clippers

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1san0n7/its_really_weird_that_kawhis_no_show_contract/

This was before he released the completely BS article saying the NBA found no evidence along with Ramona Shelburne.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49639157/nba-la-clippers-aspiration-investigation-steve-ballmer-kawhi-leonard

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7550685/2026/08/31/lakers-ownership-employees-buss-family-iger-kushner/?unlocked_article_code=1.9lA.jlif.9oTwaIy0_F9f&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

>Lakers was pushing too hard toward analytics and doing so with an arrogance that turned off some people in basketball operations and the locker room.

Edit: Got a notification that this post is the most controversial post on all of reddit for the last hour.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2024-03-14/johnny-buss-running-president-of-united-states-lakers

Johnny Buss is the eldest Buss sibling and hasn’t really been involved with the lakers outside of symbolic positions.

His presidential run was composed a tour bus labeled the “Buss tour,” 4 instagram posts, and vapid hubris.

Johnny Buss the oldest sibling was never interested in the Lakers that much and had been looking to get out since his father died. Once Jim Buss got fired, Johnny and Jim tried to stage a coup to oust Jeanie and sell the team. It didn't work.

Janie Buss in 2018 per ESPN:

>I'm really proud of my sister for putting her business hat on," Janie Buss says. "I know how hard it was. My dad's dying wish was to leave the Lakers to all of us and that we would all get along. He'd be sickened if he saw what was going on with my older brothers.

Jesse Buss on Jim Buss trying to sell the team:

>You're really taking down the entire family with you," Jesse says. "I don't think any of us really need that money outside of them. We all live very comfortably. Why not just be happy with what our dad left you?"

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19104767/lakers-owner-jeanie-buss-shares-details-decision-family-franchise

With Jeannie's behind the scenes shenanigans, the Buss siblings are singing a different tune. Jesse and Joey have had multiple interviews where they skewered Jeanie publicly and Janie has been quoted as feeling insulted when she was let go.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6824483/2025/11/20/lakers-jesse-buss-fired-jeanie-mark-walter/

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48563412/in-letter-attorney-says-clippers-owner-steve-ballmer-lost-entire-60-million-investment-aspiration

Balmer's defense of Aspiration completely falls apart with the same scheme being run with Daktronics. How is Balmer going to defend this scheme?