New York: It will depend on the NBA to demonstrate irregularities during its investigation of the possible election of salary limit by the Los Angeles Clippers, the owner Steve Ballmer and the star Kawhi Leonard, the league commissioner, Adam Silver, said Wednesday.
“The load is in the League if we are going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent member of the League,” Silver said during his annual press conference at the end of the meetings of the Board of Governors of the League at the Midtown Manhattan. “I think, as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of equity, the load should be at the party that is, in essence, bring those charges.”
Silver said the league must look at “the entire evidence” instead of simply “mere appearance.”
“Just because of the way those words are read, I think that as a matter of fundamental equity, it would be reluctant to act if there was a mere appearance of improperness … I think that the objective of a complete investigation is to discover if it really was an impression. In addition, in a public sport, the public sometimes reaches the conclusions that later turns out to be completely false. I would like any other person in the situation in the situation of Mr. They would try if people were making accusations against me. “
The League has already begun an investigation into Si Ballmer and the Clippers violated the rules of the League because Leonard accepted a support of $ 28 million for a “non -show work” of the aspiration, a green banking company now bankruptcy in which Ballmer had invested.
The accusations first left last week when an unidentified employee who allegedly worked for aspiration told Podcast Pablo Torre that the payment to Leonard “was to avoid the salary limit.”
The sources told ESPN that, although there will be an exhaustive investigation of the issue of the law firm based in New York, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, there is no deadline established to find a conclusion.
There has been a good amount of debate on whether any Silver decision, which reaffirmed on Wednesday that it has “very broad powers in these situations”, it would be dictated in case the clippers would have to demonstrate their innocence, or if the burden of the test was in the NBA to find bad actions.
The silver made it clear that it will be the last.
“I have been in the league enough time in different permutations of accusations and accusations that I believe a lot in due process and equity, and now we must let the investigation carry out its course,” said Silver.
Silver also said that this is the opinion of Ballmer's owners.
“At least what I am told is a reserve of judgment,” said Silver. “I think people recognize that for that you have a league office. For that you have a commissioner: someone who is independent of the teams. On the one hand, of course, work collectively for the 30 governors, but I have an independent obligation to be the brand administrator and the integrity of this league.
“At least what those governors have told me directly. To the extent that we have had discussions [with the board of governors] – They have been limited, we communicate that we committed Wachtell to do this research. And maybe I cut more conversations and said: “Let's make all the judgments, let's do this research and then we will return to you in terms of our findings.”
Silver also hit some other league themes:
All-Star game format: Silver said the goal is to have the new All-Star game format at the beginning of the regular season. He confirmed that he will change to a format of three teams with 16 American players and eight international players in the February game in Los Angeles.
Silver said it is a priority to involve players in the league marquee event.
“I think in the case of the NBA, this is what I am trying to transmit, particularly the youngest players, is that there is a big problem,” said Silver. “There have been great traditions out there. People have great memories of these All-Star games. It is part of the fabric of this league, the emotion that comes from it and the commitment of our players.”
European League: Silver said the discussions about the various things that will potentially create a League managed by the NBA in Europe continue and that many different parts of the League office are involved in those conversations.
Silver said he and deputy director Mark Tatum traveled to Europe to meet with different stakeholders this summer. Silver also said that the discussions with the Euroleague, the largest league in Europe today, are still ongoing after their press conference earlier this year with the Secretary General of the FIBA, Andreas Zagklis, who has openly fought with the Eurolelegue in the past.
Silver continued to say that the impression that the NBA is putting domestic expansion before creating a European League “is not the case.”
“I see them as completely different entities,” said Silver, adding that there were no new news to report on the subject, although he appeared again at the meeting of the Board.
“Part of the difficulty in evaluating it is potentially a sense of long -term value of the league, and a little may be a high class problem, but as with some of the recent jumps in the rates of the franchise, that creates some confusion in the market on how I could even set a price of an expansion franchise,” he said.
“I will only say that it is something that we continue to look actively.”
Beasley research: Silver refused to say if there are limitations on the availability of Malik Beasley, while the NBA conducts its own investigation into play accusations against the free agent guard.
“I will only say there that the investigation is ongoing,” said Silver. “As I understand, there is still a federal investigation that is also ongoing Malik Beasley. We will address what is presented to us in his case.”
