NBA Finds No Evidence Clippers Owner Paid Leonard Illegally
Listen to the story
The NBA is checking the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. People said the team's owner, Steve Ballmer, may have given secret money to a player. The player is Kawhi Leonard. Now, sources say the NBA has no proof of this.
In basketball, teams must follow money rules. This is called the salary cap. It stops rich owners from paying too much money to players. If a team breaks this rule, it is called cap circumvention. People said Ballmer used sponsors to pay Leonard extra money. A sponsor is a company that pays money to support a team or player.
The NBA started an investigation into this. An investigation means officials check facts carefully. Sources close to the case say the NBA found no evidence. Evidence means proof that something is true. So far, there is no proof that Ballmer broke the rules.
The Clippers have not commented. Kawhi Leonard has not commented either. The NBA may still continue looking into the story.
Vocabulary7 words
- NBA
- the big basketball league in America
- Los Angeles Clippers
- a basketball team from Los Angeles
- salary cap
- a rule that limits how much money a team can pay players
- cap circumvention
- breaking the money rule in a secret way
- sponsors
- companies that give money to support a team or player
- investigation
- when officials check facts carefully
- evidence
- proof that something is true
Quiz
Answer key
1. The NBA found no evidence of illegal payments 2. Kawhi Leonard 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The _____ is checking the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.
People said the team's owner, Steve Ballmer, may have given secret _____ to a player.
In basketball, teams must follow money rules. This is called the salary _____.
If a team breaks this rule, it is called cap _____.
People said Ballmer used _____ to pay Leonard extra money.
The NBA started an _____ into this.
Sources close to the case say the NBA found no _____.
The Clippers have not _____.
The NBA may still continue looking into the _____.
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