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The NBA has dropped the hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers.
After a yearlong investigation into salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, the league is stripping the Clippers of five first-round picks and fining owner Steve Ballmer $30 million, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
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Ballmer, general managers Lawrence Frank and president of business operations Gillian Zucker also received suspensions. Leonard will pay $700,000 in restitution for improper benefits involving his uncle and former business representative Dennis Robertson, but he will not be suspended and his contract will remain intact.
The NBA superstar reacted with a bit of defiance as the news circulated.
Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers, pumps up the crowd before the Rain City Showcase in a preseason NBA game between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. Getty Images
Meanwhile, Robertson has been banned from NBA business dealings.
It is a staggering package of penalties — and one that immediately belongs in the conversation with the harshest front-office punishments in league history.
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Here are the the most severe penalties the NBA has ever handed down until now.
Malice at the Palace – 2004
The NBA’s response to the 2004 “Malice at the Palace” remains one of the broadest disciplinary actions in league history.
Nine players were suspended for a combined 146 games, including Ron Artest for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Artest and teammate Stephen Jackson went into the stands and inexplicably fought fans.
The fallout also reshaped league policy. The NBA tightened arena security, created larger buffers between players and fans, imposed stricter limits on alcohol sales and formalized a fan code of conduct.
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The incident also helped usher in broader efforts to regulate player conduct and presentation, including the league’s dress code the following season.
Timberwolves — Joe Smith scandal, 2000
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joe Smith, right, is pressured by Los Angeles Lakers forward Robert Horry Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2002, in…
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Publish date : 2026-09-02 21:06:00
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