Former Aspiration CEO Denies Allegations Regarding Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers
The former CEO of Aspiration, a company linked to Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has denied the accusations about a “no-show” contract with Kawhi Leonard. Andrei Cherny, who left the company in 2022, stated that the contract with Leonard included significant obligations that the player had to fulfill. Cherny declared that the agreement clearly established the possibility of termination by Aspiration if Leonard did not meet his responsibilities. The controversy arose following reports of a four-year, $28 million sponsorship deal between Aspiration and Leonard in 2022. Ballmer invested $50 million in the company through his personal LLC in September 2021, and the Clippers announced a $300 million partnership with Aspiration two weeks later. An anonymous Aspiration employee suggested that the payment to Leonard was made to circumvent the NBA salary cap. It was revealed that Dennis J. Wong, a limited partner of the Clippers, invested $1.99 million in Aspiration in 2022, nine days before the company made a late payment of $1.75 million to Leonard. In addition, it was reported that Ballmer invested an additional $10 million in Aspiration in 2023 as part of a funding round. In an obtained statement, three former executives of Aspiration expressed their disagreement with the decision to sign the agreement with Leonard, arguing that it did not reflect the previously communicated strategy. Mike Shuckerow, former COO and General Counsel of the company, confirmed the content of the statement.The NBA is investigating whether Ballmer or the Clippers violated league rules. The Clippers have denied any wrongdoing, and Ballmer has claimed to have no knowledge of the sponsorship agreement nor to have directed the company to sign it. Cherny, in his statement, recalled that he signed the contract with Leonard in 2022. He stated that he does not remember conversations about the NBA salary cap during internal discussions prior to signing the agreement. Cherny added that, before leaving the company, there were numerous internal conversations about Aspiration’s plans with Leonard for the 2022-23 season. However, he declined to comment on what happened after his departure. Aspiration declared bankruptcy in 2025, and its co-founder, Joe Sanberg, pleaded guilty to fraud for defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248 million.The team expressed concerns at the time about the high cost of the deal and its lack of alignment with Aspiration’s brand and business strategy.
Statement from former Aspiration executives
