Kawhi Leonard iyo Daktronics heshiis kafaala ah oo aan la shaacin ayaa la sheegay inuu jiray

Baaritaan NBA ah oo socda ayaa eega eedeymo ah in lacag loo marinayo shirkadaha si loo dhufto xadiga mushaharka

Kawhi Leonard ayaa la sheegay inuu lahaa heshiis kafaala ah oo aan shaacin ee shirkadda Daktronics, tanna waa tii naqshadaysay shaashadda fiidyowga ee Intuit Dome. Heshiiskaas ayaa la sheegay inuu ahaa mid malaayiin doolar qiimo leh, waxaana loo adeegsaday in laga dhaco xadiga mushaharka.

Shaashadda Intuit Dome iyo Daktronics

Daktronics waa shirkadda naqshadaysay 'The Halo Board', taasoo ah bandhigga goobo-mareenka ugu weyn ee labada dhinac leh ee abuurmay garoonka. Intuit Dome waa goobta Clippers ee $2 bilyan ku kacday oo ku taal Inglewood, California, waxaana la furay Ogosto 2024.

Leonard ma laha qandaraas firfircoon oo uu hadda la leeyahay Daktronics, sida ay xaqiijisay wakiilka shirkadda. Laakiin wuxuu horey u lahaa heshiis kafaala ah oo aan la shaacin, kaasoo qiimahiisu ahaa malaayiin doolar sida la sheegay.

Baaritaanka NBA iyo Eedeymaha

NBA waxay bilaabatay baaritaan ku saabsan Clippers iyo Leonard bishii Sebtembar. Baaritaankaas waxaa hogaaminaya shirkadda qareennada ah ee Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. The Athletic ayaa badhtamihii July sheegtay in la eegey 'heshiis taageero oo aan horey loo soo warin shirkad kale'.

Clippers waxay marar badan mideeyeen inaysan lacag u marihin Aspiration si ay u bixiyaan Leonard. Steve Ballmer wuxuu sheegay in kooxdu hordhac ka dhaxaysay Aspiration iyo dadka Leonard laakiin aysan ka dambaysanayn. Waxaa jiray eedeymo ah in lacagta loo marinayay si xadiga loo dhufto.

Maalgashiga Aspiration iyo Dhacdada

Steve Ballmer wuxuu bishii Sebtembar 2021 ku maalgeliyay $50 milyan shirkadda Aspiration. Isla bishaa, Clippers waxay heshay 23-sano, $300 milyan oo ah 'saaxiibka aasaasiga ah' ee Intuit Dome. Lix bilood ka dib, Aspiration waxay $28 milyan ku heshay Leonard.

Ballmer wuxuu sheegay inuu lumiyay $60 milyan ee uu maalgeliyay, isagoo ah 'lagu khiyaameeyay si cad'. Joseph Sanberg, aasaasaha Aspiration, ayaa Juun la xukumay 14 sano xabsi dhac. Clippers iyo Leonard weli waa mawduuca baaritaanka NBA.

Former ESPN contributor Pablo Torre reported that Kawhi Leonard had an undisclosed sponsorship agreement with Daktronics, the company behind the Intuit Dome's videoboard, allegedly worth millions and designed to circumvent the salary cap.

The Alleged Sponsorship Scheme

Torre interviewed an anonymous high-level source under contract for the Intuit Dome who alleged the deal was a way to funnel money from the Clippers through Daktronics back to Kawhi Leonard. The source stated the arrangement was explicitly intended to circumvent the salary cap.

A former Clippers official confirmed awareness of the sponsorship, while a Daktronics spokesperson told Hunterbrook Media that Leonard does not hold an active contract with the company. The spokesperson added they could not comment further given the ongoing Wachtell investigation.

The Intuit Dome Connection

Daktronics designed The Halo Board, the largest double-sided halo display in an arena, inside the Intuit Dome, the Clippers' $2 billion venue in Inglewood, California, which opened in August 2024. The company's involvement in the arena's infrastructure raises questions about the nature of its relationship with the team.

The NBA launched its investigation in September after internal documents revealed that owner Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration through his personal LLC in September 2021. That same month, the Clippers signed a 23-year, $300 million deal with Aspiration as the first founding partner of the Intuit Dome.

Aspiration's Collapse and Denials

Six months after the Clippers' partnership with Aspiration, the company signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Leonard. Ballmer later said he lost the entirety of his $60 million investment and was flagrantly defrauded by the company, whose co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced in June to 14 years in federal prison.

The Clippers have repeatedly denied funneling money through Aspiration to compensate Leonard. Ballmer stated the team made an introduction between Aspiration officials and Leonard's camp but was not involved from then on, though the NBA's investigation continues under Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.