Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has accepted the NBA’s punishment against the team for salary cap violations and apologised for the actions that led to the sanctions.
In a post on the Clippers’ X account, the former Microsoft CEO said he had paid the record $30 million fine and accepted responsibility for the team’s role in “circumventing salary cap rules.”
The NBA also voided five first-round draft picks and suspended Ballmer and two Clippers executives for one year. Star forward Kawhi Leonard was separately fined $700,000. Ballmer said he accepts the punishment and regrets the actions that resulted in the NBA’s sanctions.
“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.”
“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. We are committed to put this chapter behind us” he said.
