Primo met with a small group of reporters at the Clippers’ media day Monday. It was his first time on an NBA roster in a year since San Antonio, which drafted him 12th overall in 2021, waived Primo after a former team psychologist who worked for the Spurs alleged in a civil complaint against the Spurs that Primo had exposed his genitals to her nine times during sessions together. The team and psychologist, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, later settled the lawsuit.
“I think at this point in time I’m not really here to speak about any details,” Primo said when asked to comment on the allegations raised in the complaint. “I think at this point in time I’m extremely happy to be a Clipper. I’m grateful for this opportunity and I think at this point it’s about the work that I’ve done from then until now and what I’ll continue to do going forward.”
The sheriff’s office in Texas’ Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, began investigating Primo last November and its criminal investigations division filed a criminal case for indecent exposure involving Primo with the Bexar County’s district attorney office on May 18, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said last week. The case remains under review by the district attorney’s office, a spokesman said by email, adding no other information was available because the review was pending.
The move to sign Primo was immediately denounced by numerous Clippers fans on social media last week. The team felt comfortable signing Primo after spending several months meeting with Primo and hearing from therapists who evaluated Primo, said Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations.
“Based on their confidence level after the evaluations and what he’s doing currently, they feel he can be a positive contributor to the organization moving forward,” Frank said.
Female employees of the team who interact regularly with players were among those consulted before the team signed Primo to a two-way contract, Frank said.
The NBA’s investigation found he had “engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women,” but said Primo had maintained he did not do so intentionally. The league has suspended Primo for four games and Primo also cannot play in the team’s four preseason games. He will be with the team during its practices in training camp, which began Tuesday at the University of Hawaii.
“I think while everyone, everyone felt this was a bit alarming,” Primo said. “Coming from myself, I think it was very alarming. It was very upsetting with these allegations coming out, but I feel like at this point in time I’m in a better place and I’m gonna continue to get into a better place. But I had to take responsibility for the actions that I have going forward. And over the past year I’ve continued to do that and I will continue to do that.”
Primo didn’t disclose specifics of the therapy he has undergone or will continue to use but said he was “definitely gonna be continuing with what I’m doing because it has been working for me.” He hoped his actions would earn trust from new coworkers but acknowledged “it’s not gonna happen overnight.”
“I think it really is all about actions,” Primo said. “Talk is cheap, guys. Like, honestly, it’s going to be my actions each and every day that proves my character and allows the relationships that I feel with my coworkers to feel stronger.”