Ballmer apologizes as Clippers accept $30M salary cap circumvention fine

Billionaire owner Steve Ballmer has apologized for his role in an effort by the Los Angeles Clippers to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap by funneling money to star player Kawhi Leonard through endorsement opportunities.

“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in a statement issued late Sunday night. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”

The Clippers were docked five draft picks and fined $30 million earlier this month, and Ballmer was banned for a year from basketball activities as punishment for the scheme.

The club initially pushed back on the NBA’s punishment, among the steepest handed down to a team in the league’s history, calling it “the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.”

Ballmer took a softer tone in his Sunday statement.

“We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward,” the former Microsoft executive and one of the NBA’s richest owners said. “While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.”

The Clippers owner’s apology comes amid reports President Trump’s Department of Justice is investigating the club in connection with the Leonard scandal, though it is unclear whether Ballmer or Leonard are the subject of the criminal probe.