Overview
- The NBA’s outside counsel said Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg sat for two in-person interviews, produced documents, and shared information that matched other evidence, with no promises made in return.
- Clippers owner Steve Ballmer filed a five-page victim impact letter that says he lost his $60 million Aspiration investment, the team lost most of a $300 million sponsorship and about $20 million in escrowed carbon credits, and his reputation was damaged.
- Federal prosecutors asked for roughly 212 months in prison for Sanberg, whose sentencing is set for Monday in Los Angeles, and the NBA’s letter describing his cooperation was included in the court record.
- The probe focuses on whether a reported $28 million Aspiration endorsement for Kawhi Leonard acted as a side payment to skirt the salary cap, which Ballmer and the Clippers deny, and the league has not announced any findings.
- If the NBA confirms violations, possible outcomes include fines, suspensions, or loss of draft picks under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and Sanberg’s sentencing could surface more records useful to investigators.