NBA suspends Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and fine team $30 million
The league suspended Steve Ballmer for one year and imposed a historic $30 million fine on the Clippers for violating salary cap rules. Two senior executives also face suspension, with the team subject to a five-year monitoring program.
On Wednesday, the NBA suspended Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer for one year as part of sanctions related to violations of salary cap circumvention rules. The league stated that Ballmer knowingly sought to help star player Kawhi Leonard obtain off-court income worth millions of dollars. He approved a business deal he knew was a precondition for Aspiration Partners to enter an endorsement agreement with Leonard. The team also received a $30 million fine, the largest in NBA history, and forfeited five first-round draft picks beginning in 2029. The franchise will undergo a compliance and monitoring program overseen by the league office for five years. Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year after providing false and misleading statements to investigators. President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank faces a six-month unpaid suspension.
