Steve Ballmer is well known amongst the NBA fraternity as a passionate and enthusiastic owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. His dedication and commitment to the team are unmatched by any sports owner in the world.
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His animated reactions from the court-side seat of Clippers’ games have become a constant source of entertainment for the fans.
The former CEO of Microsoft Corporation, Ballmer bought the Clippers at a record price of 2 billion dollars. When he purchased the team in 2014, he took 100% ownership of the team and continues to be the sole owner today.
As of 2022, the value of the LA franchise is estimated to be around 3.9 billion dollars, and Steve’s net worth is estimated to be 97 billion dollars.
However, his ownership stint has not gone as well as he had hoped. In the nine years of ownership, the team has failed to even reach the NBA finals, let alone win the championship. Ballmer has left no stone unturned in spending money or acquiring superstars. Nevertheless, his efforts have been reciprocated with disappointments year after year.
Steve Ballmer’s expense did not translate to wins
The Clippers lost 1-4 to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. The team with the highest total salaries in the NBA over the past 4 seasons – amounting to around $750 million, has not translated their expenditure into wins.
To add salt to the wound, the assets they gave up have been playing at an elite level.
For that, Steve Ballmer has paid ~$750 million (KL salary + PG salary + luxury tax payments).
And watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ascend to 31.4 PPG, All-NBA status and Jalen Williams (LAC’s ’22 1st) finish 2nd in ROY.
OKC still has a ’24 1st, a ’25 swap and a ’26 first coming.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) April 26, 2023
In a blockbuster move in 2019, Clippers transformed their roster by adding Kawhi Leonard as a free agent signing and Paul George through a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, the superstars have failed to remain healthy and have dealt with multiple injuries. They have managed to play only 142 games together in the four seasons at LA and have reached the Western Conference Finals once.
Evaluating Paul George’s Trade to the Clippers
In 2019, the Clippers acquired Paul George by trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and two first-round pick swaps. If we look back at the years since the trade, there is only one clear winner.
Shai has just finished his best season averaging 31 PPG and being nominated for the Most Improved Player award. He has elevated his game to a superstar level and was named an All-Star in 2023. The 2022 Clippers’ first-round pick translated to Jalen Williams, who finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting.
Steve Ballmer while putting together the team had multiple championships as the goal. Anything less would be considered a failure. Though the Clippers have performed well in the regular season, they have nothing to show for at the end. With the stars eligible for contract extensions in 2024, it would be interesting to see what the organization decides to do.
