Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced on Sunday night that he accepts the NBA’s punishment of the franchise for salary-cap circumvention, including his one-year suspension, and has “sincere regrets.”
The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million and stripped away five first-round draft picks to punish the franchise for circumventing salary-cap rules involving star forward Kawhi Leonard, who was ordered to pay $700,000, the league announced on Sept. 2.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in a statement posted on the Clippers’ X account. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and the distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
This is a change in stance for the franchise, which had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and issued a statement after the NBA’s announcement on Sept. 2 “vehemently rejecting” the league’s conclusions and disputing the validity of the investigation.
“We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process,” the Clippers stated on Sept. 2.
Ballmer’s statement late Sunday took a conciliatory tone, looking forward to working within the league framework.
“We are committed to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer said in the statement. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying to the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the ($30 million) 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,” he continued. “We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and our clear vision, I’m certain that we will compete at our highest level and be an organization our fans will be proud of.”
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A statement from Steve Ballmer. pic.twitter.com/YvhdXA8dQf
