The NBA has suspended Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer for one year and fined the team a record $30 million after a salary cap investigation found multiple violations.
The league also stripped the Clippers of five first-round draft picks. It suspended several executives within the organisation and placed the franchise under a five-year compliance and monitoring programme.
Why the NBA punished the Clippers
The NBA said an outside investigation found that the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules through sponsorship agreements involving star player Kawhi Leonard.
The investigation lasted several months. Law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz conducted the probe.
The NBA said the investigation uncovered “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations.”
According to the league, the Clippers encouraged outside companies to sign sponsorship deals with Leonard. The team allegedly offered those companies business opportunities in return.
The report also said the Clippers paid personal expenses for Leonard and his representatives.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver criticised the team’s conduct and leadership.
“I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”
Leonard fined but not suspended.
The NBA fined Leonard $700,000 but did not suspend him.
The league also banned his former business manager, Dennis Robertson, from conducting business with NBA teams and their affiliates for five years.
Leonard said he did not know of any plan to bypass the NBA’s salary cap rules.
“Integrity and respect for this game are fundamental to who I am. I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” Leonard said.
Clippers reject NBA findings.
The Clippers and Ballmer denied wrongdoing and strongly rejected the league’s conclusions.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.”
The team also claimed that the NBA’s private explanation differed from the findings released publicly.
“We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process,” the Clippers said.
Leave a Reply