Clippers ‘vehemently reject’ NBA’s findings, will ‘vigorously challenge’ penalties

The Los Angeles Clippers "vehemently reject" the NBA's findings that they circumvented the salary cap with their alleged facilitation of "no-show" endorsement deals for their former star forward Kawhi Leonard, the team said in a statement on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The Clippers' statement came soon after the NBA announced significant punishments for the team, owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard following an 11-month investigation. Here's how the Clippers responded to being fined $30 million and forced to forfeit five first-round draft picks.

"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 statement read. "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.

"For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence. 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."

The Clippers are being…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/