Adam Silver isn’t rushing to conclusions.
The NBA commissioner said the league will wait for the facts to emerge before ruling on allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules for superstar Kawhi Leonard.
“I’m reserving judgment because I don’t know the facts here. I don’t know what Kawhi was paid. I don’t know what he did or didn’t do. We’ll leave all that to the investigation,” Silver said in a press conference following the Board of Governors meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 12 (PH time).
LIVE: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver | NBA Board of Governors Press Conference
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The allegations surfaced on journalist Pablo Torre’s podcast, which reported that Leonard signed a four-year, $28 million “no-show” contract with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company backed by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
In his defense, Ballmer strongly denied the accusations in a one-on-one interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne last week.
“Up front, I want to say one thing very clearly: We, the Clippers, have abided by the salary-cap circumvention rules because that’s the right thing to do,” Ballmer said.
[ALSO READ: Ballmer denies alleged Clippers salary cap circumvention for Leonard; Torre stands firm]
Since then, the league has launched an investigation, with Silver reiterating that it would be up to the NBA to prove any wrongdoing.
“The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player, or any constituent members,” he said.
Adam Silver addressed the ongoing investigation into the Clippers, Steve Ballmer, and Kawhi Leonard. pic.twitter.com/OnUHhJ14Et
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Silver added: “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”
The 63-year-old commissioner also stressed that the NBA needs to look “at the totality of the evidence” rather than just a “mere appearance.”
“Just by the way those words read, I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was just a mere appearance of impropriety. … I think the goal of a full investigation is to find out if there really was impropriety,” he emphasized.
Silver also noted that he has “very broad powers in these situations” to impose sanctions, but would only do so if the league’s probe confirms misconduct.
“I’ve been around the league long enough, in different permutations of allegations and accusations, that I’m a big believer in due process and fairness. We now need to let the investigation run its course,” he noted.
[ALSO READ: What we know: Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers accused of circumventing NBA salary cap]
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.< /p>
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.
