Ballmer announced Sunday that the Clippers have paid the $30 million fine imposed by the NBA and will comply with all league sanctions. Steve Ballmer , the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has apologized nearly two weeks after the National Basketball Association imposed a wide range of fines on the team for salary cap circumvention related to Kawhi Leonard.
Earlier this month, the NBA announced one of the harshest penalties in league history for salary cap circumvention. In a statement posted on X, Ballmer apologized to Clippers fans, employees and fellow NBA owners for the controversy but maintained that he still disagrees with parts of the league’s findings. Ballmer wrote, “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. The NBA’s investigation found that the Clippers facilitated third-party business arrangements between Leonard and outside companies during his tenure with the franchise.
Those agreements effectively provided additional financial benefits outside NBA salary cap rules, according to the league.
The NBA’s 35-page report said investigators gathered evidence that showed that the Clippers encouraged companies to enter into business relationships with Leonard by offering those companies future team business. The franchise sent a sharply worded letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and labeled the investigation a “witch hunt. They further accused the league of conducting a biased inquiry without giving the organisation an adequate opportunity to respond.
Ballmer wrote, “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.”
