Gilbert Arenas Urged Steve Ballmer To Illegally Circumvent The NBA Salary Cap Months Prior To Kawhi Leonard Scandal

In one of the most poorly aged rants in recent years, Gilbert Arenas appeared to directly call for the Los Angeles Clippers to break the rules and pay their stars under the table. With owner Steve Ballmer now under investigation, the video of Arenas speaking has resurfaced. It’s baffling how a seemingly harmless take turned into one of the biggest scandals in NBA history.

Reports that came out on Wednesday suggest that Ballmer was using the now-defunct sustainability fintech company, Aspiration, in which he had invested, to pay Clippers star Kawhi Leonard up to $28 million a year for doing virtually nothing. This under-the-table deal was reportedly made in 2022.

Leonard simply had to remain part of the Los Angeles-based team, and the money would be his. This was allegedly the workaround they devised to pay the six-time All-Star more than the NBA salary cap allowed.

The scandal has caused a storm in the NBA community, and Commissioner Adam Silver has launched an investigation. Although the Clippers have released a statement denying any wrongdoing, something smells fishy. Amid all this, the video in which Arenas had asked Ballmer to circumvent the NBA salary cap resurfaces.

“If I’m Ballmer, I don’t give a f*** what that salary cap is,” Arenas said in a podcast this January. “I don’t care what it says, I am cheating, I got too much money to be on the same playing field with you broke a** f*******. We’re not in the same convo, sir.” 

Not many paid too much heed to what Arenas had claimed back then. But it could turn out to be near-perfect foreshadowing if Ballmer and the Clippers are found guilty of breaching the rules that 29 other teams in the NBA follow. Arenas had elaborated on how Ballmer could bend the rules in his favor.

“You want $50 million? I’mma give you $45 million and $5 million on the books… behind the scenes, don’t even worry about it, I got you. You want a foundation? I got that. You want business deals? I got that. You want a percentage in what? I got that,” Arenas had said.

What Gil was hinting at, of course, was Ballmer’s staggering wealth. He’s worth $151 billion, making him not just the richest NBA owner (Adelson and Dumont come next at $34 billion). Ballmer is one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet.

If Arenas were Ballmer, he could probably bend the rules and feel confident about getting away with it. As far as the Clippers are concerned, however, Ballmer is innocent and didn’t use his company.

“Neither the Clippers nor Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap. The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd,” their statement read.

The NBA’s verdict will be eagerly awaited by fans and other teams as the 2025-26 season starts. If found breaching the rules, there could be heavy punishment coming Ballmer and the Clippers’ way. Currently, Leonard is on his three-year, $150 million contract in LA, which is due to expire in 2027.

The real question, however, is whether that’s all Leonard is making for donning the Clippers jersey.