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Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, in the wake of the NBA punishing his franchise for circumventing the league’s salary cap by “initiating off-court income opportunities” for star forward Kawhi Leonard, said he has “sincere regrets” and apologized to fans as part of a lengthy statement he issued Sunday night.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
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The NBA’s independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules,” per the league’s statement on Sept. 2
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard received different punishments for the Clippers’ circumventing the league’s salary cap. Getty Images
The league dropped staggering punishments on the Clippers, fining the franchise $30 million, suspending Ballmer for one year and stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks.
President of business operations Gillian Zucker (one year) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (six months) were also suspended for their roles in the scandal.
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It appeared the Clippers were not going down easy after the NBA dropped the hammer on them.
In the immediate aftermath, the franchise issued a statement saying it “vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.”
But Ballmer was singing a different tune.
Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement continued. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While…
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Publish date : 2026-09-14 03:34:00
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