'Pablo Torre Finds Out' Podcast wins rare sport-related Pulitzer Prize for Kawhi Leonard-Clippers reporting

Before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, the league was wrapped up in multiple controversies.

For one, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were among those arrested for alleged involvement in gambling schemes. But in September, reporting from "Pablo Torre Finds Out" also revealed another scandal: potential cap circumvention by the Los Angeles Clippers involving Kawhi Leonard.

Pablo Torre, a journalist and podcaster also previously known for his time at ESPN, revealed the details of the potential cap circumvention involving the company Aspiration — and now, the team at "Pablo Torre Finds Out" is being rewarded for that story with the most prestigious honor in journalism, a Pulitzer Prize.

Here's what to know about "Pablo Torre Finds Out" winning a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for the Leonard reporting.

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Why did 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast win a Pulitzer Prize?

In September 2025, it was the reporting from Torre and his staff on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out," that sparked the NBA's investigation into the Clippers for potential cap circumvention.

Torre reported through his audio platform that Leonard allegedly received a lucrative, no-work contract from a now-bankrupt environmental company, Aspiration, so that he could receive more money without going against the Clippers' salary cap. Anonymous former employees spoke to Torre about Aspiration, which was an environmental start-up company partly funded by an investment from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

Based on the allegations, Torre found that Leonard received a  four-year, $28 million endorsement deal from Aspiration that was essentially a “no-show job” intended to “circumvent the (NBA) salary cap.”

Not long afterward, the NBA announced it was investigating the Clippers for the alleged cap circumvention. The Clippers denied breaking any rules.

As of May 2026, the NBA is still considered to be investigating the situation — ESPN reported in April that commissioner Adam Silver called the investigation, which is being led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, "enormously complex," and that interviews for it are ongoing, including Clippers officials and former Aspiration employees.

However, on Monday, it was announced that "Pablo Torre Finds Out" received the Pulitzer Prize in "Audio Reporting" for the Clippers story. 

We are honored to have been named the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting! pic.twitter.com/dFP6a9Zl0d

MORE: Is the NBA still investigating the Clippers? 

Who is Pablo Torre?

Pablo Torre is a journalist, podcaster and TV host who currently hosts "Pablo Torre Finds Out" through Meadowlark Media. 

He is from New York City, a Harvard graduate who formerly worked for Sports Illustrated as an investigative staff writer and for ESPN as a senior writer, member of shows like "Around the Horn" and "High Noon," and contributor to ESPN Daily podcasts.

Torre still makes occasional appearances on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," but he joined Meadowlark Media in 2023 to launch a new podcast and series called "Pablo Torre Finds Out," combining investigative reporting with conversational podcasting.

Last sports story to win Pulitzer Prize

Based on the Pulitzer website, the most recent sports-adjacent story to win the award was in 2023, when Mississippi Today reported on former NFL quarterback Brett Favre's involvement in a scheme by a former state governor to steer millions in state welfare dollars to benefit his family and friends. That won a Pulitzer in the "Local Reporting" category. 

Before then, in 2014, the staff of the Boston Globe received a Pulitzer Prize in the "Breaking News Reporting" category for the outlet's coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings.

MORE: What's next for the Clippers this offseason?