The concept of ‘the process’ in the NBA is nothing new. The Chicago Bulls’ management was infamously keen on breaking apart the team that brought them six Championships in the 90s, to initiate a rebuilding process that would later turn out to be a complete failure. More recently, the Philadelphia 76ers and their centerpiece Joel Embiid have adopted ‘the process’ moniker to designate their journey to an NBA Championship. However, Los Angeles Clippers‘ Governor Steve Ballmer recently rejected the idea of ‘the process’, explaining why he believes in swift results.
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During his recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, Ballmer was asked how his leadership experience as a former CEO of Microsoft spills over to his role as the owner of the Clippers. Ballmer pointed out that he implements every lesson he has learned in life, from his experience as a Harvard football team manager to a high-ranking Microsoft executive, in his managing role as the Clippers’ Governor. Subsequently, Ballmer went into details about his mentality as the LA team’s boss, bringing up his experience with ‘quarterly reviews’ in the business world.
Steve Ballmer declares that he has a ‘win now’ mentality with the Clippers
Ballmer proclaimed on Paul George’s podcast that he detests the concept of ‘rebuilding’ a franchise or going through a process to attain a certain standing in the NBA. The billionaire went on to explain why believes in a ‘win now’ mentality that holds the players and the management accountable at all times. Ballmer told George and his co-hosts:
“You have to dream long term, deliver short term, that’s essential in sports…not just in business. We gotta win today and we gotta have rosters that stay with us for two-three-four years. Cause I’m not one of those guys who wants to go through the process or rebuild. I don’t find any excuse for us doing that. We are in LA, we have a lot more opportunity to attract free agents. We ought to be able to keep us really competitive year in and year out.”
The influence of Ballmer’s mentality can be seen in the Clippers roster over the years. Despite the team’s lackluster history in the NBA, the billionaire owner has always wanted to put together quality players on the roster since acquiring the franchise in 2014.
The inclusion of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in 2019 reignited Championship hopes among Clippers fans, as Ballmer’s team was touted to be the nemesis of their LA rivals, the LeBron James-led Lakers. However, lingering injuries and disappointing losses in the postseason have delayed the Clippers’ Championship aspirations in the past few seasons.
Ballmer doesn’t believe in ‘quarterly reviews’ in the NBA
Steve Ballmer went on to explain that the concept of ‘quarterly reviews’ prevalent in the business world doesn’t work in the NBA. In the corporate world, you can explain the company’s poor numbers to the board of directors by pointing to some new research or experimentation that is expected to produce results in the future.
But Ballmer believes that model doesn’t work in the NBA since everything, from trades to player contracts and coaching decisions, are public information. This warrants the players and the management to be accountable to the fans at every step of the way.
Ballmer’s rhetoric provides a unique perspective that goes against the existing norms in many teams. It also provides a clear indication on what the Clippers’ manifesto will be for the upcoming season.
