Kawhi Leonard reacted to the NBA’s penalties, and the Los Angeles Clippers weren’t going to be any different. Rather than sit with their arms crossed, the Clippers have now pushed back against the league’s harsh punishment. This isn’t the end of it, and Los Angeles is going to go the distance to get its draft picks back, as well as walk back the severe suspensions.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” the Clippers’ statement read, according to insider Shams Charania.
After Leonard and the Clippers were strongly punished by the NBA—affecting five first-round picks and over $30 million in fines—the organization in the City of Angels won’t accept the results of the investigation. The Clippers believe they were never judged fairly and that the NBA was only looking to cherry-pick its way to fulfill a narrative. Moreover, the franchise didn’t hesitate to go after league commissioner Adam Silver, calling him out for being two-faced.
“What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure it’s fairness and accuracy,” the team’s statement read.
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome.
Can the Clippers appeal NBA’s sanctions?
The Los Angeles Clippers have put on their gloves and tucked in their mouth guard. They made that very clear. “For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence,” the organization stated. “We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.“
However, they may have no grounds to make their case. Well, only one, and it’s in court. “The NBA’s rulings are final,” Shams Charania reported on his X account. “There is no formal appeal or arbitration process available to the Clippers with the league. LA’s only outlet to fight the punishment is in court.”
Judging by the Clippers’ tone and the vigor of their statement, going down that path can’t be ruled out, and in fact, is to be expected. Los Angeles is holding its ground, and it won’t go down without a fight. Its pride is in the mud now. Not only have the Clippers been found guilty of circumventing the cap, but the organization’s honesty has also been put in question. There is no lower place for the team to reach, so it makes sense for them to fight their way up.
It’s on between the Clippers and the NBA
It has truly hit the fan now. The Clippers aren’t going down without a fight, and the NBA has made its decision final. Something has to give. Although he’s been suspended from all league and team activities for one year, owner Steve Ballmer will hold his ground, and his duel with Commissioner Silver is now set to be a compelling storyline in the offseason.
The dog days of summer are over now, and in Inglewood, it’s SummerSlam time. The Clippers are set to enter the ring against the league, and everybody knows only one can walk away from it in one piece.
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