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October 14, 2026

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Pablo Torre has already won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. But he told the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit he’s got more to share—and not just on that scandal. The journalist is also interested in LeBron James’s free use of a Fanatics helicopter as part of a 2024 deal he signed with the apparel company.

—Colin Salao

First Up

Chris Berman said he believes Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest in 2023 slowed the NFL’s public push for an 18th game.
In a reversal, the NFL declared Zxavian Harris eligible to play this season because he didn’t practice with LSU after participating in NFL training camp.
New York City FC and Manchester City share owners, but MLS commissioner Don Garber said the league has no plans to investigate them over their City dealings.
The former general counsel of the Professional Tennis Players Association sued the former and current executive directors, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty.

Pablo Torre: More Coming on Clippers, Life Surge … and LeBron?

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Pablo Torre says he has more to report on his recent major investigations on the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard, and Life Surge.

Speaking Tuesday at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit, Torre said there’s still “plenty” to share on the Clippers and Leonard, including about Lockton Insurance, a fourth sponsor tied to Leonard. He also mentioned Rhode Island Football Club, a USL team Leonard and his uncle Dennis Robertson invested in, according to his reporting.

“That was not even vaguely referred to in the report, and we’ve done reporting on that,” Torre said, referring to the report published in September by an independent law firm hired by the NBA to investigate the Clippers for violating the league’s cap circumvention rules.

The NBA imposed significant penalties on the Clippers and several executives following the law firm’s report. Torre first started investigating potential cap circumvention by the Clippers on his podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, nearly a year earlier. Torre has since published more than a dozen podcasts reporting on the Clippers and Leonard.

The U.S. Department of Justice is also reportedly investigating.

As for Life Surge, a faith-based, for-profit, wealth-building and motivational organization, Torre published his first podcast in late September alleging the group is misleading people into ponying up thousands of dollars with the help of sports stars, including Tim Tebow and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

Torre said that like Leonard and the Clippers, the investigation on Life Surge will be a “series.”

“We will have a follow-up,” Torre said. “We’re doing reporting about all of this, and I’m excited to tell people as we continue to vet our own work and fact-check that I think there’s a lot more that will open people’s eyes.”

Since Torre’s report, multiple sports figures have distanced themselves from Life Surge, including Tebow.

“The allegations are extremely, extremely serious and it’s something that we take very serious,” Tebow said a day after Torre’s podcast episode was published. “And so for us, we’re having our team do an investigation but also pausing our relationship until we can learn more about the facts to be able to understand more.”

LeBron Investigation Coming?

Torre also discussed his interest in the ties between LeBron James and Fanatics, particularly the helicopter James uses to fly back and forth between Philadelphia and New York while playing for the Sixers. FOS reported last week that James can use Fanatics’s aviation for free as a part of the deal he signed with the company in 2024, when he was still on the Lakers.

“I will say that we’re very interested, and we are, of course, looking into all of the way that is both a good story, as well as something that’s of interest to the league,” Torre said.

Torre added he’s received messages from NBA owners asking him to explain James’s deal, but didn’t say whether he will actually publish anything on the matter.

The Health of Women’s Soccer

Amanda Perobelli-Reuters

57%

That’s the percentage of female soccer players who say they earn enough from their club to cover their playing expenses. That percentage also corresponds to the number of respondents who say they’ve struggled with mental health, according to a report from global players’ union FIFPRO, which surveyed about 800 players worldwide. Players reported monthly club earnings of $2,601 (€2,237), up from $600 in FIFPRO’s 2017 survey—although that figure varies widely, with monthly earnings in North America and Central and Western Europe dwarfing those in Africa and South America. Despite the pay increase, 49% of female players report they are “considering leaving the game early.” Of those, 59% cite financial reasons, and 46% cite psychological stress.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five MLB players by most career intentional walks?

LOUD AND CLEAR

Decision to Air Jordan

Nadia DeMarinis-Front Office Sports

“It’s a year later and people are still talking about it.”

—NBC Sports announcer Mike Tirico speaking at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit Tuesday about his interview last NBA season with Michael Jordan. The network cut the interview into pregame segments that aired throughout the season, calling Jordan a “special contributor.” FOS reported earlier this year that Jordan likely won’t be returning, adding to the perception that the network oversold the Hall of Famer’s appearances. But Tirico defended the approach. “People are still asking about it. Which, to me, is all the reason that it was completely worth it.”

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