TBH, it isn’t going to register on Kawhi’s radar.

Considering how his father was murdered when KL was in high school, this is all noise that he will tune out.

—Balmer/Kawhi to make voluntary multi million $$ donations to youth sports across the country

—The CBA rules on the cap get rewritten/modified to specifically address/require league reporting requirements and banning any team from funding/making an investment in any entity that in any way sponsors a player. Plus, adding language that in some way bans or restricts no show player sponsorship agreements. And, spelled out beefed up penalties could be thrown in to ensure future compliance.

This would serve to both “punish” the clips/Kawhi for conduct that at least has the “appearance of impropriety” and to deter future such violations. If the league does something of this sort, I could see the “slap of the wrist” comments incoming but that’d pass quickly once the season starts.

The public has very short memory or attention span.

Pro sports in general have a lot of warts: gambling, corruption, cheating, domestic violence.

Did the fans get as upset here?

I do think that is funny that all of all the teams that are now being characterized as “evil” — the Clippers.

Oh my! We have come a long way, baby!

The 4th Estate lost any credibility a generation ago.

Have to say that I did appreciate Balmer speaking out in his defense — this is not a court of law but the classic court of public opinion so the dynamics are way different — even tho Steve’s statements now open him up, somewhat, to picking them a part and for counter revelations to come out.

But where does this leave Kawhi? I guess I’d like to hear from him on all this but he’s always been so secretive about personal stuff — and money gets very personal, doesn’t it? He no doubt has been advised, justifiably, to clam up right now but it isn’t doing him any good in terms of the public courthouse. Many folks are thinking the worst.

I recall some years back when someone was talking about the true market value worth of star players like LBJ in a no salary cap world. The numbers were abosolutely staggering. Everyone knows this and so the temptation–and the line crossing–has to be done with that seeming market value unfairness in their minds. But what about all the other, legit income generated by shoe deals, other product or cause endorsements for these stars? Why doesn’t that money cross the line and become salary cap circumvention? Is it just because the star has to show up occasionally and so what if the team “introduces” the star to the sponsor/cause/carbon credit pusher? So, aren’t the accusers being somewhat picky here?

The facts will come out even more clearly than they are now. But I very much doubt that the underlying understandings as to how players “supplement” their income will change. Players and their agents know that they have a limited playing window (in light of health and performance capability) to maximize their “take” and so are very motivated to “cash in” during that window of time. That motivation leads to taking chances to skirt or cross the cap line.

I think the next Pablo Torre out there will come up with revelations on other athletes and their agents who have crossed the line. It’s only a matter of time.

How will this particular saga end? (and end it will, to be sure). There will be punishment (how can there not be?) after Silver’s fact finding ends and he shares the same with the other owners (who will likely be split on what to do). Besides Sterling, this may be Silver’s defining moment.

Drama.

He’d better be proven right on this if he still wants a career. And whether he is or not he will be persona non grata among NBA players and affiliates—which could quite possibly extend into other realms like the NFL. Who’s going to trust him now? Like Channing Frye said “why you sntichin’?”