Kawhi Leonard takes aim at podcaster over alleged Clippers $50M secret payment scheme as NBA star delivers a pointed response to the explosive report

Kawhi Leonard has no interest in listening to Pablo Torre. A reporter in Toronto asked the two-time Finals MVP on Wednesday whether he follows the podcaster's show. The reply was brief and a little puzzled. There was no curiosity in it at all.Torre's podcast first exposed the Clippers' no-show endorsement deals. Those deals cost the franchise five first-round picks and got owner Steve Ballmer a one-year suspension. Now a fresh episode has dragged the story back into view just as Leonard tries to settle in with the Raptors and leave the mess behind.Why Kawhi Leonard is brushing off Pablo Torre's latest episodeA new episode of "Pablo Torre Finds Out" had just landed when the question came up in Toronto. Kawhi Leonard revealed that he does not follow the show. He is not entertained by it, and he has no idea what to expect from it. “No, I don't follow it, you know. I don't know what to think of it or really expect,” Leonard said.He pointed to the league and the players' association instead. Both had done their jobs. 'I'm not entertained by it, so, like I said before, the NBA did their job, uh, the [NB]PA did their job, and, yeah, I don't know. I don't even know what he's talking about, so it's hard for me to,” he added.Torre is the one who broke the story. His reporting showed the Clippers paid Leonard millions through endorsement deals with no real work attached. The NBA later judged the arrangement a way around the salary cap.The latest episode looked at a sponsorship tied to Boingo Wireless. It is one of the arrangements questioned in the case. Someone from the company called the partnership "gross."Leonard's public message has not changed much. In a statement issued during the investigation, he accepted responsibility for lapses in judgment by people in his inner circle. He apologized for the distraction to fans and his family. He said he signed his Clippers contract and the agreements in question in good faith, with no knowledge that anyone meant to get around the cap. His focus now, he said, is on what he can control and moving ahead with a clean slate.What the NBA ruling means for Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers and the RaptorsThe league's nvestigation turned up "a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations" by a Clippers organization that had broken cap rules before.The Clippers lost five first-round picks. Ballmer was suspended for a year and fined $30 million. Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations, got a six-month suspension without pay. Business operations president Gillian Zucker was banned for a year. The league and the players' union both say every punishment is binding.Leonard was not suspended, and none of his contracts will be voided. He was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution. The money covers improper benefits that he and his uncle and representative, Dennis Robertson, received from the Clippers and other organizations. Robertson is now banned from any business dealings with the NBA.Toronto had to wait for its star. The trade was delayed while the NBA investigated the Clippers and then handed down its punishments. Los Angeles received Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-rounders.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.