‘I Wish He Would Have Taken More Responsibility’ — Don Van Natta Jr. Called Out by Ex-ESPN Colleague for ‘Misleading’ Clippers Report
· Yahoo Sports
ESPN has come under intense scrutiny for its Aug. 17 article about Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary cap circumvention scandal. Don Van Natta Jr., one of the contributors to the piece, has defended the report. Despite his response, he and his colleagues continue to face criticism.
Among those who have called out Van Natta is ESPN’s former vice president and senior news editor Chuck Salituro.
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Chuck Salituro Pushes Back on Don Van Natta Jr.’s Defense of Clippers Report
After an almost yearlong investigation into Leonard and the Clippers, the case has finally concluded. Punishments have been doled out, but the full effects of the fallout are yet to be felt.
Initially, though, many thought that the Clippers would come out of the situation unscathed. That belief stemmed from an article by Van Natta, Baxter Holmes, and Ramona Shelburne. According to the article, the league found “no evidence” that the team circumvented the NBA’s cap rules for Leonard’s benefit.
However, the league’s final findings undercut the impression created by ESPN’s report, concluding that the Clippers committed multiple salary cap circumvention violations. The league also found that Ballmer knowingly helped facilitate off-court income opportunities for Leonard.
Since then, Van Natta has responded to those criticizing him and his colleagues through an email to Puck’s John Ourand.
“Accuracy is critical, and we hold ourselves to the highest standard,” the ESPN journalist said. “We believe readers who judge the facts of our Aug. 17 story against the specifics released in the report two weeks later will see that we accurately reflected the status and direction of the NBA’s investigation at the time of publishing.”
Following this statement, Salituro weighed in on his former ESPN colleague.
Salituro acknowledged that Van Natta is one of the best reporters in the world, which is why he hoped Van Natta would be more cautious.
“I wish he would have taken more responsibility for reporting a story that was premature and misleading at best and wrong at worst,” Salituro said.
As expected, the NBA world has ripped ESPN to shreds for what is being viewed as faulty reporting.
Notably, on Sept. 2, the league announced heavy penalties for the franchise.
Among the punishments is the forfeiture of five first-round picks (2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033) and a $30 million fine.
Several people also received suspensions, including team owner Steve Ballmer.
Meanwhile, Leonard received a $700,000 fine.
Despite this, the two-time NBA champion’s stalled trade to the Toronto Raptors is still expected to happen. This means the Clippers will receive Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, assets they could flip for draft capital if they want to recoup some of their losses.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.