NBA Investigates Potential Endorsement Scandal Involving Kawhi Leonard and Clippers

## Overview The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the world, featuring 30 teams—29 based in the United States and one in Canada[1]. Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, the NBA is recognized as one of the major professional sports leagues in North America and is the second-wealthiest by revenue, trailing only the National Football League (NFL)[1]. NBA players are among the highest-paid athletes globally, reflecting the league’s commercial success and global appeal[1]. ## History The NBA was established in 1949 through the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL), though it traces its official founding to the BAA’s 1946 inception[1]. A pivotal moment came in 1976 with the NBA-ABA merger, which expanded the league by four franchises and helped solidify its dominance in American basketball[1]. The league’s regular season traditionally runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games, followed by a playoff tournament culminating in the NBA Finals in June[1]. ## Key Achievements The Boston Celtics hold the record for the most NBA championships, with 18 titles, most recently in 2024[1][3]. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning champions, having won the 2025 NBA Finals—their first title since relocating from Seattle[1][3]. The NBA has also produced iconic individual achievements: LeBron James is the all-time leading scorer, and Russell Westbrook holds the record for most triple-doubles[3]. The league’s global reach is reflected in its massive fan base, social media presence, and international player recruitment. ## Current Status and Innovations The 2025–26 season marks the NBA’s 80th anniversary and introduces new broadcast partnerships with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video, signaling a major shift in sports media distribution[2]. The league continues to

The Los Angeles Clippers are a prominent professional basketball organization based in the Greater Los Angeles area, competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. Founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, the franchise relocated to San Diego in 1978 and then to Los Angeles in 1984, where it adopted its current name. Historically overshadowed by the more successful Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers struggled for decades but underwent a significant transformation in the 2010s, marked by the arrival of star players like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, who ushered in the celebrated “Lob City” era. A pivotal moment in the Clippers’ history came in 2014 when then-owner Donald Sterling was banned for life due to racist remarks, leading to the sale of the team to Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft. Ballmer’s ownership has been characterized by substantial investment in the franchise, including the construction of the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, which became the team’s home arena starting with the 2024–25 season. This move represents a major technological and business advancement, positioning the Clippers as a forward-thinking organization in sports infrastructure. The Clippers have made consistent playoff appearances in recent years, establishing themselves as serious contenders in the NBA. Their current roster features high-profile talent such as Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul, and the team continues to innovate in fan engagement and digital experiences. With a focus on building a championship-caliber team and leveraging cutting-edge technology, the Los Angeles Clippers stand as a dynamic example of how sports franchises can blend athletic excellence with business and technological innovation.

The **New York Post** is a prominent American daily tabloid newspaper based in New York City, known for its conservative editorial stance and extensive coverage of local, business, and entertainment news. Founded in 1801 by **Alexander Hamilton**, a Founding Father and the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, it originally operated as the *New-York Evening Post*, a respected broadsheet newspaper aligned with Federalist political views[1][2][3]. Its early leadership included notable editors such as William Cullen Bryant, cementing its 19th-century reputation for serious journalism. Throughout its history, the *Post* underwent significant transformations. In the mid-20th century, under Dorothy Schiff's ownership, it shifted to a tabloid format, which remains its style today. A major turning point came in 1976 when media mogul **Rupert Murdoch**'s News Corp acquired the newspaper for $30.5 million. This acquisition integrated the *Post* into Murdoch's expanding media empire, influencing not only the paper’s conservative editorial direction but also shaping broader American media and political discourse[1][4]. Today, the *New York Post* is the third-largest U.S. newspaper by print circulation and operates multiple online platforms, including **NYPost.com** (news), **PageSix.com** (celebrity gossip), and **Decider.com** (entertainment), along with the television show *Page Six TV*, reflecting its diversification into digital and broadcast media[1][3]. The paper is notable for its provocative headlines and tabloid style, blending sensationalism with serious business and political coverage. Despite controversies—such as the 2020 Hunter Biden laptop story that sparked debates on social media censorship—the *New York Post* remains a major player in American journalism, especially influential in New York City’s media landscape and business community[1]. Its legacy, spanning over two centuries, showcases its evolution from a Federalist broadsheet to a