Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO turned Los Angeles Clippers owner, has been handed a one‑year suspension by the NBA after the league found the franchise guilty of violating salary‑cap rules tied to Kawhi Leonard’s contract. In addition to the ban, the Clippers will pay a $30 million fine, the largest penalty ever imposed for a cap‑circumvention case. The ruling follows a lengthy investigation that uncovered the team’s use of a “cap‑cap” loophole to sidestep restrictions on player salaries, raising questions about the league’s enforcement and the future of the franchise’s ownership structure.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year by the NBA, and the team was ordered to pay $30 million for violating salary cap circumvention rules in a case involving Kawhi Leonard.
