Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, in the wake of the NBA punishing his franchise for circumventing the league’s salary cap for star forward Kawhi Leonard, issued a lengthy statement last Sunday night.
The NBA dropped a staggering punishment on the Clippers, fining the team $30 million, suspending owner Steve 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.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in his statement. “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.”
Ballmer continued: “We are committing to put this chapter behind us. 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 there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract. The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our prior-ity. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”
