Back in September, reporter Pablo Torre of the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” exposed the Los Angeles Clippers for using an allegedly fraudulent four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration to circumvent NBA salary cap rules and pay superstar Kawhi Leonard more money.
Torre released multiple episodes that included legal documents and quotes from former Aspiration employees to prove his claim against the Clippers.
On Monday, Torre was named the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting.
“For a pioneering and entertaining form of live podcast journalism that investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers seemingly evaded the NBA’s salary cap rules by funneling money to a star player through an environmental startup,” The Pulitzer Prizes said.
We are honored to have been named the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting! pic.twitter.com/dFP6a9Zl0d
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) May 4, 2026
The Clippers have consistently denied the allegations Torre made about the endorsement deal. In a letter he sent to U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said he was “duped” by Aspiration founder Joe Sandberg.
The NBA is still investigating the claims against the Clippers, and there is no timeline for when a decision will be made. However, it is reportedly no longer expected that Leonard’s contract with Los Angeles will be voided, despite initially being listed as a potential punishment if found guilty.
Possible punishments include million-dollar fines, loss of draft picks and suspension of Ballmer and other franchise staff members.
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post Pablo Torre Wins Pulitzer Prize for Report on Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Scandal appeared first on LA Sports Report.