Pablo Torre’s Kawhi Leonard reporting wins Pulitzer Prize, a first for The Athletic

The podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” received the Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting on Monday for an investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers’ alleged evasion of the NBA’s wage cap via using a separate entity to pay star Kawhi Leonard.

The Pulitzer is the first for TheAthleticwhich began 10 years in the past and has been owned by The New York Times Company since 2022. “Pablo Torre Finds Out” is produced by Meadowlark Media and have become a part of The Athletic Podcast Network in September via a licensing deal.

“To be a show in TheAthletic‘s network and to be connected to The New York Times Company generally is an honor in and of itself,” Torre, 40, mentioned throughout a celebration in The Times newsroom.

Last yr, Torre reported on his present that the Clippers and their proprietor, Steve Ballmer, paid Leonard thousands and thousands of {dollars} greater than allowed underneath league wage cap guidelines via a four-year, $28 million endorsement cope with Aspiration, a California-based environmental firm. Ballmer was a distinguished investor in Aspiration, which filed for chapter in March 2025. Following the podcast, the NBA started an investigation into the allegations, which the Clippers and Ballmer have repeatedly denied. That investigation is ongoing.

Since starting in 2023, “Pablo Torre Finds Out” has lined a number of matters, starting from the Leonard reporting to President Donald Trump’s affect on workforce possession, to secret rap albums and aggressive bird-watching. Torre additionally made headlines for episodes on Bill Belichick and the operations of the NFL Players’ Union.

Torre, a Harvard graduate, was previously a sports activities author for Sports Illustrated earlier than shifting to ESPN and turning into a senior author for ESPN The Magazine. He has additionally contributed to the tv exhibits “Around the Horn” and “Pardon the Interruption,” and hosted the ESPN Daily podcast.

The New York Times received three Pulitzers on Monday — for investigative reporting, opinion writing and breaking information images — whereas The Washington Post and Reuters every received two. The prizes are given out every year by Columbia University for excellence in journalism, literature and the humanities.