Sports Biz: Fine-ers Keepers

The NBA’s penalties for the Clippers over alleged salary-cap circumvention tied to third-party endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard included a record-setting $30 million fine, five stripped first-round draft picks, and a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer. The article also puts that punishment in sports’ broader history of large financial blows, citing Formula 1’s $100 million “Spygate” fine for McLaren in 2007, an NFL $60 million fine in 2023 for Dan Snyder, and NCAA sanctions against Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. It also notes settlements involving Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea over financial rules.