Former Aspiration CEO Denies Allegations Regarding Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers
Andrei Cherny, former CEO of Aspiration, the company linked to Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has denied the accusations suggesting a “phantom” agreement with Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the NBA salary cap. Cherny, who left the company in 2022, stated that the contract with Leonard included substantial obligations that the player had to fulfill.Cherny’s statement was published on X, where he also detailed that the contract stipulated the possibility of termination by Aspiration if Leonard did not fulfill his responsibilities. The controversy arose following reports indicating 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. A former Aspiration employee suggested that the payment to Leonard was made to evade the salary cap. In 2022, Dennis J. Wong, a limited partner of the Clippers, invested $1.99 million in Aspiration, nine days before the company made a late payment of $1.75 million to Leonard. In addition, it was revealed that Ballmer invested an additional $10 million in Aspiration in 2023. In an obtained statement, three former executives of Aspiration expressed their disagreement with the company’s decision to sign the agreement with Leonard, arguing that it did not align with the company’s strategy. Mike Shuckerow, former chief operating officer and chief legal officer of the company, confirmed the content of the statement.“The contract contained three pages of extensive obligations that Leonard had to fulfill,” Cherny wrote in a statement.
Andrei Cherny
The NBA is investigating whether Ballmer or the Clippers violated league rules. The Clippers have denied any wrongdoing, and Ballmer has stated that he was unaware of the sponsorship agreement and did not order its signing. Cherny signed the contract with Leonard in 2022 and stated that he does not recall conversations about the NBA salary cap during the discussions prior to the signing. Before leaving the company, there were internal conversations about Aspiration’s plans with Leonard for the 2022-23 season. Aspiration declared bankruptcy in 2025. Its co-founder, Joe Sanberg, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248 million.“The team expressed at that time its concern about the high cost of the agreement and its lack of alignment with Aspiration’s brand and business strategy,” they said in the statement.
Former Aspiration executives
