LOS ANGELES, September 10 — ESPN’s August 17 article on the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard said there was “no evidence” that owner Steve Ballmer funneled money to Leonard through his sponsors. That article has not been changed. The NBA’s punishment, handed down after its investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention closed, was five future first-round picks, a $30 million fine, and a one-year ban on Ballmer from team and league activities.
That gap is the story. Yahoo Sports, via HITC, published a report by Aaditya Krishnamurthy on September 8 headlined “How Pablo Torre’s LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard investigation has plunged ESPN into a ‘disaster.’” The piece traces the fallout inside ESPN over its coverage of the league’s investigation. Criticism has come from both inside and outside the network.
The “No Evidence” Line
ESPN’s August 17 story stated flatly that there was no evidence Ballmer funneled money to Leonard through his sponsors. The league’s penalties landed anyway, and they were severe. Aggregated coverage cited by the source includes an Awful Announcing report that some ESPN staffers were “appalled” by the Ballmer-Leonard reporting, describing it as a “disaster.” A separate Pro Football Network item reported that ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. was called out by a former ESPN colleague for a “misleading” Clippers report.
The colleague’s quoted words: “I Wish He Would Have Taken More Responsibility.”
Torre’s Role and the Settlement Detail
Pablo Torre, the investigative journalist whose reporting is the thread running through the story, revealed that the franchise could have avoided the harsh penalties if Ballmer had agreed to a settlement. Pro Football Network reported Torre sharing the detail that “Steve Ballmer Was Fundamentally Uninterested In Settling.” Additional aggregated headlines referenced Clippers fans directing “outrage” at Ballmer for refusing to settle, with phrases including “Ego Cost the Team” and “Zero Attempt to Apologize.”
What to Watch
The source material also lists related recommended stories, including ESPN’s Don Van Natta defending the criticized report on the Clippers investigation. The core thread remains Torre’s independent reporting, which put a negative spotlight on ESPN as the NBA’s penalties — five first-round picks, $30 million, and a one-year Ballmer ban — landed. Investors will note the reputational math for a network whose own staffers are quoted calling the coverage a disaster. The next marker is whether ESPN changes the August 17 article or addresses it on the record.
