Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer apologized nearly two weeks after the National Basketball Association imposed a wide range of sanctions on the team. In a statement posted to Earlier this month, the Clippers were sanctioned for violating the league’s salary cap avoidance rules related to star player Kawhi Leonard and four companies that did business with the team. The team will also lose five first-round draft picks, with one each year starting in 2029, in addition to paying a $30 million fine, the largest in NBA history. Ballmer said the team is complying with the sanctions, has paid the fines and is “moving forward.” However, he added that “although there are still disagreements about the report’s findings, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.” When the sanctions were revealed, the Clippers “vehemently” rejected the NBA’s findings. The team said it intended to challenge the report, adding that the report’s findings “are the result of a highly biased investigation that seeks to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.” The NBA said Ballmer “knowingly” sought to help Leonard obtain off-court earning opportunities worth millions of dollars, among other violations. Leonard, for his part, said he was “not aware of any intention on the part of anyone to circumvent the salary cap.” will continue to build the team and invest in its community, adding that he is “confident that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization that our fans can be proud of.” — CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
